TVET Institutions benefit through new Sheridan partnership

Oakville, Canada – June 21, 2021 – Today, Sheridan announced a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works in Kenya-TVET program.  Sheridan’s focus, in partnership with Niagara College, will be on Gender Equality Policies and Training at TVETS in Kenya over the next three years.

Young Africa Works in Kenya-TVET is a five-year program (2020-2025) and aims to increase the participation of young Kenyans, particularly women, in market-relevant skills training programs. The program will also establish and strengthen policies and procedures that promote safe learning environments and provide gender equality training to administrators and awareness workshops for government officials. The program is made possible through a partnership between Colleges & Institutes Canada (CICan) and the Mastercard Foundation.

“Achieving gender equality requires boldness, intentionality, and recognizing the unique challenges young women face. Creating safe spaces for young women to learn and work—and shifting individual perspectives, institutional practices, and overall policies—is critical to this goal. Our commitment under our Young Africa Works strategy is to ensure that 70 percent of the young people that benefit from our work are young women,” noted Daniel Hailu, Regional Head, Eastern and Southern Africa, Mastercard Foundation.

Initially this Gender Equality Policies and Training partnership will focus on an in-depth situational analysis of existing policies, processes, and practices for the Kenyan TVET system. In collaboration with the Kenya National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), a needs-assessment toolkit for partner TVET institutions in Kenya will be created. The rollout of gender equality and safeguarding policies will include a series of activities, such as:

• Awareness workshops.
• Mentoring gender equality champions.
• Developing a gender equality training and resource toolkit for learners and trainers to ensure structured training delivery.
• Delivering trainings for gender equality champions, trainers, and peer counsellors. 
• Working with the NGEC to support institutions to strengthen gender-based violence prevention, response, and mitigation.  

“Sheridan is committed to building capacity and developing policies and procedures that promote safe and inclusive learning environments. The intention is to increase the retention and graduation rates of learners, and thereby raising the number of youth in dignified and fulfilling work,” says Dr. Jane Ngobia, Sheridan’s Vice President, Inclusive Communities.  
 This program aligns with Sheridan’s commitment to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It supports quality education (SDG goal four), decent work and economic growth (SDG goal eight), and gender equality (SDG goal five). Furthermore, this program is supportive of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) and Kenya’s NGEC.  

“No matter where we live, we are at different stages in our struggle against gender inequality. It is important to always remember and reflect on the deep connections between our local and global efforts. Empowered women and girls contribute to the health and productivity of their immediate communities, creating a ripple effect that benefits the global community at large. We look forward to engaging with and learning from our Kenyan partners,” said Dr. Amira El Masri, Sheridan’s Global Education and Internationalization Director.

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. It is one of the largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org

About Young Africa Works
Young Africa Works is Mastercard Foundation’s strategy to enable 30 million young people, particularly young women, across Africa to access dignified and fulfilling work. Africa will have the largest workforce, with 375 million young people entering the labour market by 2030. With the right skills, these young people will contribute to Africa's overall competitiveness and improve their lives and those of their communities.

Mastercard Foundation will implement the Young Africa Works program in 10 African countries in partnership with governments, private sector, business leaders, educators, and youth. In the initial phase, the countries identified by Mastercard Foundation include Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda.

For more information, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org.

Sheridan Contact:
Dr. Amira El Masri, Director - Global Education and Internationalization
Email: amira.elmasri@sheridancollege.ca

Mastercard Foundation Contact:
Diana Moraa
Email: dmoraa@mastercardfdn.org