The European Union officially launched its Skills for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Eswatini (S4YEEE) programme with a technical kick-off session held on 1 July 2025. The initiative is aimed at addressing youth unemployment and improving Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the country.
Held in Mbabane, the session brought together representatives from government ministries, international partners, and implementing agencies to map out the next stages of the programme’s rollout.
S4YEEE is backed by €14 million in funding from the European Union and will be implemented by the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ) under the “We Empower for Decent Work” (WE4D) framework. The project seeks to strengthen Eswatini’s TVET systems, aligning training institutions with labour market demands while targeting youth, women, and disadvantaged groups for inclusion. 
EU Head of Cooperation Eva-Maria Engdahl said the programme will contribute to human capital development and economic growth, in line with the EU–Eswatini Multi-Annual Indicative Programme for 2021–2027.
GIZ experts introduced during the session shared their regional and global experience in skills development. They will be working on the ground in Eswatini as the programme enters its implementation phase.
