STRYDE: Soft skills training in Tanzania

Youth unemployment is an increasing concern in countries across the developing world, including Tanzania. Many governments and international organizations are encouraging self-employment through micro- and small-enterprise development as a solution. Because many young people do not have the skills or interest to start businesses, high quality skills training programs are needed. TechnoServe’s Strengthening Rural Youth through Enterprise Development (STRYDE 2.0) program uses a unique and intensive soft-skills approach to training. The intervention trains rural youth on basic life and career skills and later links them with employers or supports them in developing microenterprises. The STRYDE 2.0 evaluation examines the impact of this approach to training youth in Tanzania on several economic and social outcomes using a randomized controlled trial. The program’s large scale allows for a robust evaluation sample. The research team is using PPE funding to top-up the endline sample to improve power.