Country Projects to Promote Workplace-Based Training for Vulnerable Youth in Argentina, Costa Rica, and Kenya

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $9 million total costs for up to three cooperative agreements of up to $3 million total costs each, to fund technical assistance projects in Argentina, Costa Rica, and Kenya to improve country capacity to provide workplace-based training programs with a focus on vulnerable and marginalized youth. One cooperative agreement will fund a technical assistance project in Argentina, one cooperative agreement will fund a technical assistance project in Costa Rica, and one cooperative agreement will fund a technical assistance project in Kenya. In each country, the objective of the project is to improve the capacity of government, employers, workers’ organizations, and civil society to establish and expand workplace-based training programs with a focus on vulnerable and marginalized youth, in particular adolescents at or above the legal working age who are engaged in or at risk of engaging in the worst forms of child labor. Project outcomes include: 1) laws or policies supporting quality workplace-based training opportunities for youth, including vulnerable and marginalized youth, are improved and/or implemented by key stakeholders; 2) employers, workers’ organizations, and other stakeholders implement best practices related to workplace-based training for youth, including vulnerable and marginalized youth; and 3) the quality of existing public and private programs that provide vulnerable and marginalized youth with prerequisite skills to enter workplace-based training programs is improved. The duration of each project will be a maximum of 4 years (48 months) from the effective date of the award. Applicants may apply for one or multiple countries. If applying for multiple countries, applicants should not combine countries in a single application, but must submit separate applications for each country.