The Swiss Cooperation Strategy for Myanmar 2019-2023 includes the new domain ‘Skills & Market Development’ and expands its geographical focus to Shan State. Large parts of the population in Southern Shan live in precarious conditions and almost 50% of the population older than 25 years do not have a diploma and only 22% have completed primary education. Despite a recognised need and appetite for vocational training, especially on agricultural issues, existing government schools are not widely known or remain inaccessible due to lacking entry qualifications or physical mobility of people from remote or conflict-affected areas.

Building on lessons learnt from the SDC Vocational Skills Development Programme, recognised for its strong private sector collaboration, and other engagements in Myanmar, the new project aims to improve rural and agriculture-based livelihoods in Southern Shan. Self-/employment opportunities along selected skill and value chains in order to promote a skilled workforce for a developing economy are in the centre of the proposal. The project will endeavour to provide i) an expansion of market-oriented training opportunities for the large group of youth, men and especially women, who have little or no access to the scarce training offers in Southern Shan, and (ii) to provide a strategic support at sector-level involving relevant public and private sector partners in the target areas. By promoting inclusive and gainful socio-economic opportunities outside the main economic hubs, the project will contribute to the realisation of a peace dividend in conflict-affected areas and increased resilience of people from left-behind communities in Southern Shan.

The focus on rural and secondary urban areas in a state largely controlled by non-state actors and by looking at the continuum of training offers or commodity market along specific skill or value chains, issues at the heart of the Development–Humanitarian-Peace nexus in Myanmar (women’s resilience, ethnic and Myanmar language, employability and market access) will be given particular attention.