UNESCO–NIESBUD training boosts efforts to strengthen TVET in South Sudan
UNESCO Press Release_NIESBUD-Training-TVET-South Sudan
New Delhi, India | 12 December 2025: Under the auspices of the “Strengthening the Public–
Private Partnership (PPP) Model in the South Sudan TVET Ecosystem” project, a training
programme successfully concluded at the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small
Business Development (NIESBUD) in New Delhi on Friday.
The 11-day training programme included capacitating sessions, ranging from introducing
provisions for equal participation in education – for women and other disadvantaged groups
– to skilling alignment with labor market needs, targeted at senior state and private sector
actors from South Sudan.
The flagship UNESCO project draws on India’s successful National Skill Development
Corporation (NSDC) model – wherein, this training served as a platform to introduce the
South Sudanese delegation to India’s comprehensive skilling architecture.
Throughout the programme, the delegation engaged with representatives from the NSDC; the
National Council for Vocational Education and Training; and the Directorate General of
Training, to learn more about Indian models for industry-aligned training, apprenticeships,
digital skilling, women-centric programmes and community-based training. The programme
also included field visits to local training facilities, including: the Delhi Skill and
Entrepreneurship University; the Industrial Training Institute Pusa; the National Skill Training
Institute; and the Jan Shikshan Sansthan in Jahangirpuri.
This gave the South Sudanese delegates the opportunity to see how partnerships with industry,
CSR-supported initiatives, and community-driven approaches support industry-aligned,
digital training that enhances work-readiness among young people.
“We commend the Government of India and UNESCO for their partnership, which has
exposed us to effective strategies for reducing unemployment, increasing productivity, and
promoting inclusive economic growth. As we return home, it is our duty to share and reinforce
our institutional capacity within our sectors to further promote entrepreneurship, vocational
training, and skills development in South Sudan.”
Hon. James Hoth Mai, Minister of Labour, Republic of South Sudan
“The level of participation, curiosity and commitment shown by the delegation has enriched
every session. The field visits to training centres, Kaushal Kendras, enterprises, start-up
incubation facilities, and innovation labs enabledpartnerships between government, industry, academia and communities drive large-scale
impact in India.”
Smt. Dr. Poonam Sinha, Director General, NIESBUD
“UNESCO stands ready to support South Sudan’s preparation of a phased roadmap to
improve institutional structures and enhance skills curriculum development for genderresponsive TVET programmes.”
Joyce Poan, Programme Specialist and Chief of Education, UNESCO Regional Office
for South Asia
This training programme will act as a catalyst for implementing an action plan to adopt India’s
best practices and frameworks for its sector-specific strategies, especially in agriculture and
construction. Building on UNESCO’s ongoing work to develop South Sudan’s TVET
ecosystem, this project is part of the broader “India-UN for the Global South: Delivering for
Development” initiative launched earlier this year – with UNESCO as a technical lead.
By anchoring the project within the broader India–UN framework, UNESCO is transforming
India’s development experience into actionable strategies for the Global South – implemented
in collaboration with NIESBUD, with knowledge support from NSDC. In this context,
UNESCO’s collaboration with India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship is pivotal in institutionalizing TVET, particularly through
initiatives such as the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme and Skill India
– launched over a decade ago.
Inspired by the UNESCO Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) 2022-29, the UNESCO flagship project aims to improve the quality and relevance of
TVET delivery in South Sudan by institutionalizing structured engagement between public
institutions and private sector actors, through consultations, needs assessment and stakeholder
dialogues to inform the development of PPP governance frameworks and capacity-building
activities.
UNESCO’s TVET initiative is key to using education and employment to building peace and
a sustainable economy in South Sudan, where the escalating political crisis is driving renewed
armed violence and making the already dire humanitarian and human rights situations