Client
Mastercard Foundation
Regions
Federal, Addis Ababa, Amhara, Dire Dawa, Harari, Oromia, Sidama, Somali, SNNP
Sector
Manufacturing, youth employment
Year
2019-24
Target
530,000 Jobs 15,000 Enterprises
BRIDGES is a five-year programme implemented by First Consult in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, aimed at supporting 530,000 youth jobs with a strong focus on empowering women across Ethiopia. By addressing unemployment in all regions and city administrations, the programme targets the manufacturing sector, providing both self- and wage-employment opportunities for youth and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The programme delivers support through demand-based skilling, mindset training, linkages, information dissemination, capacity building, and access to finance, collaborating with public and private partners. To date, over 35 impactful interventions have been designed and implemented in sectors such as fishing, mining, and furniture making, overcoming barriers related to skills, finance, and information.
BRIDGES, one of the flagship programmes implemented by First Consult.
Strategic Focus Areas
Enterprise Development BRIDGE (EDB): identifies unemployed youth and equips them with life skills, employability, and entrepreneurial training, as well as Business Development Services. It also fosters connections with financial institutions and offers profession-specific technical training. A major digital initiative under EDB is Awaqi, a youth-focused online platform that delivers mindset, entrepreneurship, and employability content to promote self- and wage-employment. Awaqi, a national-level initiative, uses social media and web platforms to reach young people with content that inspires and motivates an entrepreneurial mindset. The platform features short videos, training materials, and job opportunity information, designed to support youth in achieving dignified employment or starting their own businesses.
The Workforce Development BRIDGE, another key area, has established an efficient recruitment and training system for industrial parks. It connects workers with industrial jobs through screening and orientation programmes, enhancing both job placement and retention. ELB initiatives, like the TATARI savings scheme, supported workers in their new environments, while WEAR (Workers Engagement and Retention) provides audio-visual training on industrial orientation.
The Workers Engagement and Retention (WEAR) soft skills training programme
WEAR delivers essential knowledge for new factory workers, covering areas such as urban transition, workplace safety, and life skills, using engaging content narrated by a character named Aster. Available in multiple languages, these training materials are provided to workers and trainers across Ethiopia. BRIDGES has developed a generic version of WEAR to promote broader industrial work culture and skills transfer.
The Access to Finance (A2F) Bridge tackles the financial challenges faced by MSMEs. It collaborates with financial institutions to close the financing gap, supporting youth access to credit through policy revisions, capacity building, innovation, and creating linkages between enterprises and financial institutions.
The final focus area, the Enterprise Competitiveness Bridge (ECB), enhances the competitiveness of local manufacturers and suppliers. With Ethiopia’s foreign direct investments exceeding USD 4 billion annually, ECB helps local enterprises meet the market demands created by large FDI firms. This involves import substitution, forming business-to-business relationships, and launching job creation projects. ECB’s three-pronged approach ensures enterprises can seize opportunities and contribute to economic growth through local value addition, outsourcing, and technology transfer. By addressing market information gaps and fostering B2B connections, ECB supports job creation and bolsters Ethiopia’s manufacturing landscape.