Gender-responsive and Environmentally-informed Labour Market and TVET Ecosystem Analysis - STRIVE Project Sri Lanka

Position Title : Consultant(s) - Gender-responsive and Environmentally-informed Labour Market and TVET Ecosystem Analysis

Position location : Sri Lanka focusing on North and East

Reports to : Senior Program Manager, STRIVE

Contract Period : Up to 45 working days between 20 February to 20 June 2026

Introduction

WUSC is a leading Canadian international development organization committed to providing education, economic and empowerment opportunities to improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged youth around the world, particularly women and displaced people. WUSC’s vision is a world where every young person thrives and belongs, and its mission is to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. WUSC works as a facilitator and a convener, bringing together diverse resources and stakeholders to tackle complex challenges at a systems level. WUSC leverages a wide network of actors from civil society, post-secondary education, the private sector and youth themselves to design and implement initiatives that will bring lasting change for the benefit of youth.

WUSC operates in over 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of over $45 million CAD. WUSC has over 300 staff globally implementing many development projects in collaboration with donors, such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Mastercard Foundation. With support from Global Affairs Canada and other funders, WUSC has worked in Sri Lanka (SL) since 1989, contributing to national development goals through partnerships with the Government of Sri Lanka, civil society, the private sector, and other key development actors.

The STRIVE Project

The Strengthening TVET Resilience and Inclusive Vocational Employment (STRIVE) Project is a new initiative designed to transform the economic prospects of young people—especially young women in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces. Over five years, the programme seeks to reduce poverty, boost regional competitiveness, and propel sustainable economic growth, giving specific attention to advancing gender equality and strengthening resilience to climate and economic shocks.

Using a collaborative approach, STRIVE will drive gender responsive, environmentally sustainable collective action among actors in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem. These actors will be supported to increase participation of young people, particularly young women, in enhanced TVET that leads to increased gender equitable employment and self-employment in key sectors facing current and future skills gaps, with emphasis on the green economy.

The ultimate outcome of STRIVE is:

Improved economic wellbeing of young people, especially young women, in the North and East of Sri Lanka

The intermediate outcomes are:

Improved participation of young people, particularly young women, in gender-responsive, environmentally sustainable and market-relevant TVET in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka
Enhanced gender equitable transition to employment, including green jobs for young people, particularly young women, in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka

The immediate outcomes are:

Increased demand for TVET from young people, particularly young women
Increased capacity of TVET Institutions to offer quality, inclusive, gender-responsive, environmentally sustainable and market-relevant skills training for young people
Increased motivation of employers in select sectors to hire and retain TVET graduates, especially female graduates
Improved capacity of TVET Institutions and industry to transition young people, particularly young women, from learning to employment

Purpose and Objectives of the assignment

The primary objectives of the STRIVE Gender-responsive and environmentally – informed labour market and TVET Eco system analysis are the followings:

The labour markets are undergoing significant transformations due to increased skill demand, emerging skills, climate change, digitalization, and demographic shifts. These changes have implications for skills demand and supply, especially for women, youth, and marginalized groups. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems must adapt to meet the emerging needs of green and inclusive economies.

This assignment aims to conduct comprehensive labour market and TVET ecosystem analysis with close collaboration of TVEC (Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission) that are both gender-responsive and environmentally informed. The process will be co-designed and validated with relevant stakeholders to ensure contextual relevance, sustainability, and ownership.

The overall objective is to conduct a participatory, gender-responsive, and environmentally-informed labour market and TVET ecosystem analysis to inform policy, programming, and institutional strengthening focusing North and Eastern region in Sri Lanka on the supply side, but also to understand the demand of the labour market . Indeed, further conducting comprehensive, participatory research to map the TVET ecosystem and labor market trends through gender responsive and environmentally informed analyses, engaging diverse stakeholders including TVET providers, industry associations, women's rights organizations, and youth representatives will ensure that the research captures localized needs and opportunities. The research, co-designed with relevant stakeholders, should identify key actors, focus sectors , gaps and opportunities, with findings synthesized and disseminated to further design and implementation.

Specific Objectives:

Identify current and emerging labour market trends, particularly in green and sustainable sectors.
Assess the responsiveness of the TVET system to these trends, with a focus on gender equity and environmental sustainability.
Map the key stakeholders, including their power, influence, and current relationships/feedback loops that either inhibit or accelerate gender-responsive and environmentally-informed TVET eco system.
Co-design actionable recommendations with stakeholders to enhance the inclusivity and environmental sustainability of TVET policies and programs.
Disseminate findings to TVET stakeholders, development partners, training providers, and civil society.

Scope of Work

The primary objectives of the STRIVE Gender-responsive and environmentally – informed labour market and TVET eco system analysis are the following

The consultant(s)/firm will carry out the following tasks:

Inception Phase

- Conduct stakeholder mapping and engagement planning.
- Develop a participatory research framework and methodology.
- Conduct an inception report presentation to validate the methodology and scope.
Data Collection and Analysis
- Conduct desk review of relevant policies, strategies, and labour market reports.
- Collect primary data through interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys.
- Apply gender and environmental lenses to the analysis of trends, gaps, and opportunities.
TVET Ecosystem Assessment
- Assess institutional capacity of TVET providers (public/private) to deliver green and inclusive skills training.
- Evaluate curriculum relevance, gender inclusivity, and integration of environmental sustainability.
- Analyze how current TVET financing, governance, and quality assurance mechanisms reinforce or inhibit gender and environmental mainstreaming across the system.
- Identify jobs providers (private sector etc.) and their needs, and assess their capacity in job transformation towards green jobs.
- Identify barriers to participation for women and marginalized groups.
Stakeholder Co-Design sessions
- Facilitate validation and co-design workshops with government, private sector, civil society, and learners.
- Develop recommendations collaboratively based on findings.
- Validate findings with stakeholders for the research conducted on the TVET ecosystem
Report Writing and Dissemination
- Prepare a comprehensive analytical report.
- Develop policy briefs and presentation materials.
- Organize dissemination events and develop action plan.

Study approach and methodology

The consultant is expected to propose a detailed methodology for assessing the quality and quality data relevant to TVET Eco system, including a list of documents for review. The consultant can also draw upon existing data that has been collected during project design from the Labour Market and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion analyses. Note that the consultant will be provided with guidelines for the development of a final summary report during the inception meeting. The system analyses to be focused which includes tools specifically designed for system mapping/analysis (e.g., Causal Loop Diagramming (CLD), Social Network Analysis (SNA) of partnerships) during the Synthesis and Validation phase

The assignment will employ a mixed-methods approach, including:

Quantitative analysis of labour market data (disaggregated by Gender, age, location).
Qualitative research with key stakeholders.
Gender analysis and environmental scanning tools (e.g., gender mainstreaming checklists, green skills frameworks).
Participatory and inclusive methods that centre the voices of underrepresented groups.
Co-creation approaches to ensure ownership and relevance.

All findings must be disaggregated by gender, age, geographic location, and other relevant social markers.

Key Activities and Deliverables

The selected Consultant/firm will have overall responsibility for the design and implementation of the study with the support of three research assistants, those from north and eastern regional academic/TVET institutions are preferred, and for ensuring quality and timeliness of all deliverables. The key activities and deliverables expected from the consultant for this assignment are as follows:

Intervention

Key task and description

I. Inception Phase

Co-design session: Conduct a kick-off workshop with stakeholders to finalize the research questions, methodology, target sectors, and data collection tools. Develop a detailed Inception Report.

II. Labour Market Analysis

Primary and secondary data collection to analyze current and future skill gaps in emerging green and high-opportunity sectors. Use Gender-disaggregated data and analyze differences in participation, wages, and working conditions.

III. TVET Ecosystem Analysis

Review existing TVET policies, curricula, infrastructure, and budgeting. Assess institutional capacity to adopt gender-responsive pedagogy and integrate environmental/sustainability content (Greening TVET). Include case studies of institutions.

IV. Gender and Environmental Impact Analysis

Conduct Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with women/men TVET graduates, current trainees, employers, and policymakers. Analyze gender roles, social norms, and environmental consciousness as they influence TVET and employment choices.

V. Synthesis and Validation

Prepare a comprehensive draft report. Hold a Validation and Co-design session with key TVET stakeholders to review findings and refine strategic recommendations. This included system structure, especially a shared system map and actionable leverage points/ systematic intervention.

VI. Dissemination and develop action plan

Develop policy briefs and presentation materials and tools. Organize dissemination events at National and proposed regions and develop action plans for STRIVE implementation supports.

Time Frame and Level of Effort

The period of the contract is expected to be from 20 of February 2026 to 20th of June 2026 with an expected contribution of approximately 45 working days. The consultant is expected to carry out all the preparation required to roll out the study as per the suggested time frame below. Dates and level of effort 45 days will be reviewed and finalized during the inception meeting.

Deliverable Description Timeline

Inception Report Methodology, work plan, stakeholder engagement plan 04 days

Desk Review Report Summary of existing policies and data 04 days

Field Data Collection Report Tools, raw data, initial findings 15 days

Draft Analytical Report Labour market & TVET ecosystem analysis including green skills 03 days

Stakeholder sessions Validation and co-design sessions 03 days

Final Report & Policy Briefs Dissemination Materials and tools developed

Regional VET plan Incorporating feedback and actionable recommendations including action plan 03 days

Incorporating necessary data, informations 02 days

Incorporating TVEC inputs and dataswith the collaboration of TVEC 08 Days

Dissemination Event Presentation of findings and dialogue 03 days

Qualifications of Consultant(s)

The ideal Consultant/Firm should possess a blend of expertise in labour market analysis focussing on green skills, TVET systems, gender equality, and environmental sustainability/green economy.

Essential Qualifications:

Advanced Degree: Master's degree or higher in Economics, Development Studies, Education, Gender Studies, Environmental Science, Green economy or a related field.
Professional Experience: Minimum 15 years of experience conducting complex labor market, skills, or TVET ecosystem assessments, preferably in the North and East and Sri Lanka
Specialized Expertise:

Demonstrated experience with Gender Analysis and integrating gender-responsive approaches into research.
Proven understanding of the Green Economy, green skills, and environmental sustainability as they relate to TVET and employment.
Experience in stakeholder consultation and co-design processes.

Skills: Excellent analytical, report writing, and presentation skills English, Tamil and Sinhala would be added advantage.

Experience working in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces, with a strong understanding of the social norms, local context and gender dynamics in the regions
Knowledge of the TVET sector in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces
Ability to produce high quality work under tight timeframes

Application Packages and Procedures

Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following:

A technical proposal clearly describing the methodology to be used in conducting the study and a detailed description of the relevant qualifications and experience of research team members
A detailed financial proposal, including a work plan stating outputs/deliverables, level of effort of members of the research team, expected timeframe, unit and total cost, summary of proposed cost, and proposed payment schedule.
Closing date for applications is 15th February 2026

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Gender-responsive and Environmentally-informed Labour Market and TVET Ecosystem Analysis