| Project Detail |
More than 300,000 young Senegalese enter the job market each year, in a context characterized by a very high rate of young women and men who are neither in employment, nor in education, nor in training (33.1% of NEETs among 15-34 year-olds). In 2026, the African continent will host the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) for the first time, which will be held in Senegal and which will offer real opportunities for economic integration for young people, before, during and after the event. To contribute to the legacy of the Dakar 2026 YOG, under the leadership of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee and the Ministry of Vocational Training, Apprenticeship and Integration of Senegal, the FIT! Senegal Initiative aims to improve decent employment for young people in Senegal in their diversity . The FIT! Senegal Initiative intervenes at various stages of the youth integration process: guidance, training, integration, employment, and self-employment. LuxDev plays the role of coordinator of this joint Team Europe initiative and, together with operational partners, is implementing an action consisting of: create new professional opportunities for young people, particularly for YOG volunteers; create and strengthen training courses in professions related to the YOG; strengthen dual training; contribute to promoting the image of professional and technical training through the organization of Olympics in trades, sport and culture; build sports infrastructure in training establishments in the form of a school site; integrate a “Sport for Development” approach and deploy an Olympic, civic and sports certificate in establishments. In order to enable nationals from all regions of Senegal to benefit from the professional integration opportunities offered by the Dakar 2026 YOG, the initiative extends throughout the national territory. The initiative integrates issues related to gender, the inclusion of people with disabilities, and sustainable development, by focusing on green jobs and opportunities arising from the digital sector. Young people are involved in the initiative, not only as direct beneficiaries of the activities, but also as stakeholders in the reflection and implementation. This commitment made by the initiatives partners is materialized by the experimental application of the Youth Friendly Standards . Investing in youth and contributing to job creation are the main objectives of the FIT! Senegal Initiative. The FIT! Senegal Initiative is led by the Senegalese Ministry of Vocational Training, Apprenticeships and Integration, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee, and the European Union. The Initiative is co-financed by the European Union, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland through a Team Europe approach . The French Development Agency (AFD), AICS, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, GIZ, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation, are working together to promote youth employability. |
