The VET Toolbox 2 project is a multi-partner initiative operating across 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, addressing the critical challenge of skills mismatch and youth unemployment. With a total budget of 16,250,000 EUR funded by the European Union and BMZ, the project was implemented by a consortium including Enabel, GIZ, Expertise France, The British Council, and LuxDev. The overall project aim was to better meet the human capital needs required by value chain development and investment programmes in the region. The specific objective was the enhanced delivery of demand-driven skills development and Vocational Education and Training (VET) tailored to investment needs. This was pursued through three main results: enhancing public-private dialogue on skills development, building capacity for demand-driven VET, and stimulating knowledge exchange from practical experience in investment contexts.

The evaluation served the dual purpose of accountability and learning, seeking both to verify the achievement of the specific objectives and to provide strategic insights for future programmes. It covered the project implementation period, running from September 2020 through December 2025. The analytical framework systematically applied all six DAC criteria. A particular focus was placed on assessing the added value of the piloted opportunity-driven approach, which links training provision directly to identified economic opportunities. Furthermore, the analysis focused on the performance and challenges of the multi-agency consortium set-up and examined cross-cutting issues related to youth employment and gender integration within VET activities.