The WED /YED Project is to reduce the vulnerability of the Municipalities of Bam and Baravat and its adjoining villages, especially the marginalized sections of society, unemployed women and youth, and to enhance their capacity to cope with the consequences of the earthquake that struck this area on 26 th December 2003. Vulnerability is determined by a wide range of factors among which people's access to assets , productive activities & employment opportunities rank high . Promoting and implementing job creation strategies can considerably reduce it .

The project will, amongst other actions , establish a training and services' programme, both via direct t raining , and through interactive e - learning using computers and networking, for women and youth, for those of whom entrepreneurial activities are an option after the earthquake, for those who wish to be entrepreneurs and demonstrate the determination to progress. Pilot Demonstration Centres are being established to provide demonstrations of production processes and technologies and to allow hands on training of the entrepreneurs and selected personnel. Business Development Centres will provide administrative support and advice. Networks of entrepreneurs and community clusters are being encouraged and organized to obtain the benefits of exchange of information and other group activities. Finally, mechanisms will be established for enterprise and job sustainability in order to assist the entrepreneurs to acquire c omplete and practical knowledge and understanding of the markets and where possible, to extend sales outside of their locality

Beneficiaries:

• Vulnerable persons, particularly unemployed women and youth looking for new employment opportunities in niche market sectors (agro-food, crafts, ICT and mechanical engineering)
• Trainers and business coaches working at TVTOs (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs)
• Managers and directors at the Technical Vocational Training Institutes promoting employment measures.

Project uses in implementation a multidisciplinary team consisting of local and international experts and UNIDO HQ staff responsible for SME development.

-Market analysis and surveys with the TVTOs

-Training and equipment needs assessment

-Preparation of training manuals, tools and training programmes for WED/YED , including e-learning facilitation within TVTOs

-Institutional capacity building: training of managers, trainers/business coaches, establishment of business development services (technical skills training for WED/YED and a package of support services)

-Training and coaching of Women and Youth Entrepreneurs for job creation.

- Development of provincial networks and linkages for enterprise and job sustainability