Photo: Students during a carpentry session at Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre

In South Sudan, the future is walking on two feet: young, ambitious, and brimming with untapped potential. But potential alone does not build livelihoods; it requires opportunities, relevant skills, and a fair shot at the market. This is where the Skill Up!+ programme by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) plays a transformative role.

Aligned with this year’s International Youth Day theme, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” the program demonstrates that when young people take charge of their futures, they propel the entire country closer to achieving global development goals.

Bridging the Skills Gap in a Young Nation

Young people form the backbone of South Sudan’s workforce, with over 70% of the population under 30. Yet, youth unemployment remains high, estimated at above 35% nationally and even higher in post-conflict states such as Northern Bahr El Ghazal.

Through the Skill Up!+ programme, WHH provides crucial training in business management, entrepreneurship, and vocational technical trades. In Wau, for example, 90 participants are enrolled in vocational training in partnership with the Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre.

A remarkable 30 of these participants are young women learning tailoring and catering, transforming not just their prospects but also their families’ stability. In a complementary effort, 50 more youth—30 of whom are female—are currently receiving entrepreneurship development training directly from WHH, ensuring a holistic approach to empowerment.

From Training to Earning: A Holistic Approach

WHH’s model goes beyond simply teaching skills; it focuses on turning those skills into income. Training graduates receive start-up kits with essential tools, such as tailoring machines or carpentry tools. They are also integrated into strengthened Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to gain access to finance.

In 2025, 140 youth are set to receive these vital kits, while many others will be linked to employers, private sector actors, and TVET networks for apprenticeships and internships. This ensures graduates are not just learning, they are earning.

Overcoming Barriers with a Multi-Pronged Strategy

The journey is not without obstacles. Many young women continue to face deep-rooted gender norms that limit their participation in trades like welding, carpentry, or mechanics. Other challenges include low literacy and numeracy skills, which make it difficult to enroll in formal training, and economic pressures that force some to leave mid-training to care for their families.

To address these barriers, WHH has adopted a multi-pronged approach that offers flexible training schedules to accommodate family responsibilities, actively prioritizes female enrollment, and promotes community ownership to ensure fairness and sustainability.

As a result, female participation in the Skill Up!+ programme has risen to an impressive 43%, up from 15% in previous projects. This is a tangible step toward the Sustainable Development Goals’ pledge to “leave no one behind,” ensuring the benefits of vocational skilling extend across gender, geography, and literacy levels.

A Ripple Effect of Change

This work in South Sudan is part of the wider Skill Up! Programme, which has 17 projects across 15 countries. All projects follow the Skill Up! approach, which combines various training formats with tailored support services, including career counseling, mentoring, and access to finance. This holistic model equips youth with market-relevant skills and provides the tools and networks they need to succeed in competitive markets.

South Sudan’s story stands as a compelling example of how local action drives transformation. The future is embodied in a young woman who, after completing carpentry training, earns her first income crafting school desks.

It is also seen in a youth-led agribusiness in Northern Bahr El Ghazal that reinvests its profits to expand operations and create jobs for fellow young people. When communities invest in their youth, the impact reaches far beyond individual livelihoods—it creates ripples of change that strengthen households, uplift villages, and shape the nation’s future.