The Organisation
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances childrenโs rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support childrenโs rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.
We wonโt stop until we are all equal.
ROLE PROFILE
Title
Livelihoods, Skills, and Work Specialist
Functional Area
Programs and Influencing Department, Country Office
Reports to
Head Of Programs & Influencing
Location
Country Office
Travel required
40%
Effective Date
July 2025
Grade
14
aBOUT PLAN iNTERNATIONAL
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances childrenโs rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.
We support childrenโs rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for โ and respond to โ crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 80 countries.
Plan International recognizes the immense potential of young people to transform societies. Guided by our global youth strategy framework, Powering the Movement, we work to realize gender equality and girlsโ rights through youth-led collective action. We believe that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow but also citizens of today, and we are committed to:
Empowering youth to unleash their full potential as agents of change. Ensuring meaningful engagement and ownership in youth-centered solutions. Sustaining interventions that enable youth leadership and active participation. Investing in youth initiatives as equal partners. Advocating for youth rights, voice, and influence across all settings.This role will support the operationalization of this framework by fostering meaningful collaborations and partnerships with and for young people, youth-led organizations, and networks.
Aligned with Plan International Ghanaโs Country Strategy (2020โ2027), as well as our global thematic areas, the Livelihoods, Skills, and Work Specialist will contribute to our goal of supporting two million girls and young women to thrive and attain equality. Specifically, this includes ensuring that girls and young women:
Enjoy inclusive, quality learning outcomes and increased access to entrepreneurial and employment opportunities. Lead change in advancing their sexual and reproductive health and rights, with a focus on preventing teenage pregnancy. Grow up in safe, protective, and gender-responsive environments.ROLE PURPOSE
The Livelihoods, skills, and work Specialist will support our focus on job creation for the youth, promoting economic development opportunities in the key growth sectors for rural employment in agriculture, agribusiness and agro-processing, addressing barriers to youth economic participation and strengthening their knowledge, skills, agency, and informed decision-making.
The jobholder will drive initiatives on resilience building (community capacity building on climate, conflict and economic related shocks) and private sector engagement making market work for the poor (Value Chain, business development, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship) for Plan International Ghana. Recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls, we also engage in climate-focused initiatives and climate smart agriculture, supporting women-led climate resilience efforts and promoting gender-responsive environmental programmes through our work within the green jobs and green skills thematic area.
The role will also contribute to non-farm enterprises and rural MSMEs such as small-scale processing, tailoring, crafts, and service provision that respond to local needs and can serve as sustainable employment models. Part of this include leveraging and amplifying vocational training (TVET) through capacity building programs, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship and mentorship to provide practical, employment-ready skills and promote selfโemployment.
The jobholder is also expected to strengthen relationships between Pan International Ghana and the Ministry for Food and Agriculture, Ministry for Youth Development and Empowerment and Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment.
Dimensions of the Role
Lead on Plan International Private Sector engagement strategy development making market work for the poor. Bringing expertise in at least two commodities value chains, the jobholder is expected to create new and/or transfer existing private sector partnerships around relevant value chains across different regions of the country. Provide technical and strategic advisory services to partners on coordinating farmer mobilization, awareness creation at all levels, training of farmers in best agronomic practices, post-harvesting handling, and agriculture enterprise curriculum Lead on managing farmer-agribusiness company relationships, dissemination of improved technologies and new practices relevant to value chain actors such as buyers to improve competitiveness at farm level and the rest of the value chain. Lead on planning, implementation, and monitoring of commodity value chain specific activities as well as managing the work of short-term service providers Lead and provide technical and specialist support to the design, implementation, and evaluation of youth employment, youth enterprise and economic empowerment models and programmes fully align to key global purpose, theory of change, strategies, country context, and other agreed standards. Key team member of programs team in the COโs business development agenda
Accountabilities
Livelihoods, skills, and work strategy development in the CO
Lead and provide technical expertise for the development of a country level Livelihoods, skills, and work strategy in line with the global strategy to guide the implementation of youth empowerment and youth employment and general livelihood related activities in Ghana Scan the private and public sector, CSOs and INGOs for viable partnerships Build and manage relationships and partnerships with producer organisations, NGOs, research institutions, private sector and other key stakeholders in the agricultural, agribusiness and agro-processing and rural sectors in Ghana. Support the clear definition of the COs Livelihoods, skills, and work objectives and map out in the strategy clear interventions for skills training, apprenticeship, job placement, entrepreneurship support and mentorship among others Provide technical expertise in the areas of youth employment, youth entrepreneurship, youth employment, and broader livelihoods programming in alignment with Plan International Ghanaโs strategic priorities. Support young people to apply their entrepreneurship and business skills through the establishment, incubation, and sustainability of youth-led enterprises. Facilitate youth access to market-driven opportunities by supporting market assessments and identifying high-demand sectors relevant to their interests and skills. Promote and support the development and uptake of youth-friendly financial services, including savings, credit, and financial literacy initiatives. Provide ongoing follow-up support to youth through structured mentoring, coaching, and technical guidance to strengthen enterprise viability and job readiness. Engage families and community stakeholders to build supportive environments that promote youth agency, autonomy, and decision-making over their economic choices and resources.
Proposal development, Program Design and Implementation
Constantly scanning the donor and private sector landscape for funding and partnership opportunities Prepare capacity statements, concept notes and project proposals ensuring they are aimed at achieving increased income and food security for smallholder farmers especially women and youth Ensure that proposals developed for specific calls are in line with priorities of Livelihoods, skills, and work. Scan for opportunities on economic empowerment and livelihoods with donors and strategic partners, give updates to the program and business development team, and build a strong roster of technical consultants in the areas of livelihoods and economic empowerment. Noting that the agriculture sector value chain in Ghana is the largest area in generating and creating decent jobs for people, the role, primarily will lead the development and implementation of proposals, programs and projects that promote youth employment and economic empowerment in the agricultural value chain sector Beyond the key agriculture value chain sector, the role will also leverage funding opportunities for job creation with industry players and stakeholders in other growth sectors, including digital skills, construction and artisan trades, hospitality, logistics and e-commerce, automotive, renewable energy, TVET among others.
Lead and represent Plan International Ghana in the agricultural sector policy analysis as well as in all livelihood projects to generate decent jobs for young people in Ghana.
Policy Analysis: conducting research and analysing government policies and strategies in the agriculture sector, especially, policy areas that are geared towards youth participation, youth employment in the agriculture value chain. Provide strategic analysis and direction through high quality advice, analysis of food security trends, and synthesis of learning from external sources and our programs to help the organisation make strategic program, policy and influencing choices. Advocacy & Representation: representing the organization in discussions with government sector bodies, stakeholders, and the public in the agriculture sector, especially, policy areas that are geared towards youth participation, youth employment in the agriculture value chain Keep up to date with national and regional trends in the area of resilient livelihoods, food security and agricultural value chain development order to fully understand the context within which Plan International operates (present and future). Support gathering and sharing of good practice within thematic groups that are integrating disaster risk reduction, social protection/safety nets and sustainable livelihoods approaches to work in areas of chronic poverty and inequality. Actively represent Plan International in the Cadre Harmonise analysis, Food Security Cluster and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Federal Ministry of Environment policy engagement at the national level. Position Paper Development: Drafting and submitting well-researched position papers that articulate the organization's stance and provide evidence-based recommendations for policy reform aimed at promoting youth employment in agriculture value chain In a general livelihood perspective, the role is vital in ensuring that, livelihood interventions are economically sound, sustainable, and beneficial to the target groups by leading the following key areas:Lead market and Value Chain Analysis - conducts a detailed analysis of the existing and potential markets for agricultural products. This includes identifying market opportunities, understanding consumer demand, assessing competition, and analyzing the various stages of the value chainโfrom production and processing to marketing and sales
Lead feasibility and Cost-Benefit Analysis to determine if the potential returns outweigh the initial investment and ongoing costs of any agriculture value chain project. This helps project managers make informed decisions on which crops to promote, what technologies to introduce, and how to allocate resources effectively to maximize positive impact.
Lead Policy and Financial Guidance on relevant agricultural policies, trade regulations, and financial mechanisms that can affect any agriculture focused project. This includes helping farmers access credit, understand commodity pricing, and navigate market fluctuations and support the design and recommend financial strategies, such as savings groups or micro-lending schemes, tailored to the specific needs of the community
Youth Skills Development, Employability, Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise Development including Life, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Skills with Community Support
Design and implement training programs and projects that enhance youth employability and skills in key growth sectors. Support the linking youth to gender-sensitive and demand-driven vocational/technical, apprenticeship and entrepreneurship training Work with private sector partners to develop industry-relevant training programs and provide job placement services. Develop and implement programs that support youth entrepreneurship and enterprise development, including business incubation and acceleration services. Design processes to provide coaching and mentoring services to youth entrepreneurs and small business owners. Develop and implement programs and projects that promote financial inclusion and access to financial services, including microfinance, savings, and credit services. Support the building of youth life & basic employability skills (numeracy, literacy, digital literacy, social/emotional communication) Support the mobilization of families to support gender equal and inclusive trainings, and employment pathways for youth
Networking and collaboration
Work closely with Plan International networking group on Livelihoods, skills, and across our West Africa & Central Africa sub region and Global Hub Work closely with other technical specialists and units at the Country Office to ensure integrated approach to Livelihoods, skills, and work Build partnerships with private sector organizations to support youth employment and economic empowerment initiatives. Facilitate dialogue and collaboration between private sector, government, and civil society stakeholders. Collaborate with stakeholders to identify youth employment and economic empowerment needs and develop targeted Collaborate with financial institutions to develop financial products and services tailored to youth needs. Play a key role in maintaining Plan Internationalโs relationship with key government ministries departments, agencies and donors (institution and corporate).
Support the revitalization of Village Savings and Loans Association and develop effective database for Livelihoods, skills, and work