Green energy for women and youth resilience in East Africa: Bridging the skills gap through technical and vocational education

In Tanzania and Uganda, heavy reliance on traditional biomass fuels for cooking contributes to indoor air pollution, deforestation and health risks, especially for women and children. Dependence on fossil fuels also strains national budgets and increases carbon emissions. Poor urban waste management exacerbates pollution and adds to public health risks.

This project aims to empower women and youth in Tanzania and Uganda by equipping them with technical, entrepreneurial and business skills so that they can take part in the clean energy transition. It supports national efforts to create a skilled workforce in the clean energy sector, while addressing critical socio-economic and environmental challenges linked to the unsustainable use of energy.

The project’s overall goals are to boost green employment, enhance energy access and foster a just, inclusive and sustainable energy future. It will facilitate the design of inclusive policies that support equitable access to clean energy, ensuring that marginalized and underserved communities are actively involved in the clean energy transition.

Partnering with technical and vocational training institutions, the project will develop a formal curriculum focused on the transition to green energy. It will enhance the institutional capacity to deliver certified and short-term clean energy training programs and will scale up activities that promote local production and the widespread adoption of clean energy technologies.