The Joint International Unit (JIU) serves both the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) due to the cross-cutting nature of the UK’s education and employability agenda.

Due to the recent emphasis on Africa through the Commission for Africa report, the G8 Africa agenda, and the DfES International Strategy, the unit is seeking to engage more strategically with Africa to ensure that the commitments made in 2005 on higher education and youth employment/training are followed through. Critical to achieving this is working with the private sector.

enterprise & employment

DWP/DfES is actively promoting the issue of youth employment at an international level and taking a leading role within the UK government. The UK has joined the UN/ILO/World Bank Youth Employment Network, and in October hosted an event at the UN World Programme of Action on Youth +10 which involved a panel of business representatives, including Business Action for Africa member Land Rover Jaguar, who discussed ways they are addressing the issue in Africa.

DWP/DfES was also involved in the high-level business panel on youth employment with the Prince of Wales and Kofi Annan held at the UN in November 2005. Looking ahead, DWP/DfES would like to work with Business Action for Africa members to identify skills gaps and develop training programmes, work placements and mentorship schemes that are relevant to market demands in specific sectors in African countries.

human development

DWP/DfES is working to promote vocational education and higher education in Africa. Seed funding has been provided to support the establishment an entrepreneurial training programme ‘Tabesia’ in a Ghanaian university. The training includes involvement in setting up HIV/AIDS awareness programmes in local schools and communities as a means to develop the transferable skills needed to set-up new businesses