According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are expected to be 283 million young people aged 15 to 25 by 2030 in sub-Saharan Africa alone. The approximately 20 million youth coming into the labor market every year represent the potential for the world’s greatest workforce. At the same time, the high number of young workers also has implications on the labor market and the skills and education mismatch is one of the most pressing issues to be addressed. In order to stand out and attract the attention of employers, young people need to be equipped with soft skills that foster their employability prospects.

In Senegal, the German Development Cooperation’s Regional Project “Sport for Development in Africa” (S4DA) uses the full pedagogical potential of sport to contribute to the improvement of young people’s employability prospects by strengthening their personal, social, methodological, and professional skills. Four S4D manuals for the promotion of key competences relevant for the labor market through sport have been developed and are being used by teachers, educators, social workers, and coaches trained as S4D multipliers. Through the integration of Sport for Development into the education programs of partner organizations, such as the Higher Institute of Vocational Education in Thiès, Don Bosco centers in Dakar and Thiès and SOS Children’s Villages in Dakar, Kaolack and Ziguinchor, sports and educational activities for youth are complemented with the S4D approach, allowing to improve learners’ communication, team work and entrepreneurship skills also outside of a classroom setting.

Additionally, an S4D module has been integrated in the qualification of physical education teachers at the National Sports Institute in Dakar (INSEPS), also spearheading the development of a S4D manual for Senegal currently in the making. To foster the regional transfer of knowledge and experiences, an inter-university S4D knowledge exchange between the INSEPS and the National Sports Institute in Lomé, Togo has been initiated. 10 sports grounds are being constructed or rehabilitated in order to create safe spaces for children and youth.

We invite you to have a look at the following teaching and learning materials, which were created by the German Development Cooperation on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and our partner organizations in Senegal. You will find a more detailed description about the materials in our collection S4D Tools for your Practice/Teaching and Learning Materials.