In Tunisia, nearly half the population is under 30, making youth aspirations crucial to the country's future. However, ineffective responses to their challenges leave many Tunisians frustrated. Youth unemployment remains a major issue, with more than one third of 15-year-olds and more than 20% (2024*) of graduates unemployed. Economic exclusion, worsened by a mismatch between skills and labour market demands, makes workforce entry difficult. 

To address this, Tunisia's Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Ministry of Employment, in partnership with GIZ, levegared sports for socio-economic development. They trained vocational training facilitators, employment advisors, and youth centre leaders in the S4D methodology, equipping them to implement socio-sport activities more effectively. The S4D programme  also created a network of S4D instructors to improve coordination, consolidate best practices, and integrate S4D into training programmes. 

Through the 'Youth Ambassadors' programme, 28 young people from youth and vocational training centres strenghened their leadership, communication, and project management skills. They became advocates for the S4D approach, promoting social change and reaching out to marginalised youth, including those not in education, employment, or training (NEETs).

In Raoued, Tunisia, the programme established an inclusive S4D pilot center in a working-class neighbourhood facing challenges of social inclusion. With over 300 members aged 13 to 29, the centre provides career counselling, training and sports activities, ensuring young women gain access to labour market services. At the local and regional levels, S4D organised sports events and open days promoting sport as a tool for employability, fostering social cohesion and gender equality by engaging key public and civil society stakeholders. 

Additionally, S4D in Tunisia identified economic opportunities for young graduates from the Higher Institute of Youth and Culture Animation and the Higher Institutes of Sport and Physical Education, providing recommendations for their integration into the job market through innovative economic models.

All those efforts empowered youth in Tunisia by strengthening their employability while fostering gender equality and social cohesion through sports.

*Source: https://domainetat.tn/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/fr.pdf