Give a man a fish...*

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."

* Yes, yes, we know. Using old Chinese proverbs can be somewhat problematic these days because they're, well... old, and the language can be of another time. But the underlying wisdom often holds true. Today, we don't give out fish, but we do help train men and women around the world on new ways to farm, catch, process, prepare, market, and sell them. And it goes way beyond fish. Read on.

Clackety clack

Hanging on a wall in the Manhattan offices of Concern US, you’ll find an embroidered cotton decorative Concern calendar for the current year, just like every year since we set up shop here in the mid 1990s. It’s made by the Heart Handicraft women’s collective in Saidpur, Bangladesh, which was established in 1973 with support from Concern, part of the organization’s early efforts to foster sustainable income generation opportunities for people living in extreme poverty. Old film footage in the Concern archive shows row upon row of women clacking away at typewriters as they learn secretarial skills or beavering behind complex looms in the weaving classes run by volunteers.

Concern Worldwide training in Bangladesh in the 1970s — Scenes from Concern's earliest skills training activities in 1970s Bangladesh. The calendar is on the left.

Millions of course hours later, in May 2024, Concern’s Regine Kopplow and her Livelihoods team decided to take a step back and assess the organization’s current state of play in technical, vocational, and business skills training across the world. “It’s called a scoping study, and we use it to evaluate our effectiveness and provide recommendations for how we will move forward in the coming years,” Regine explains.

Today, there are training activities ongoing in 18 of Concern’s 26 countries of operation. The most recent figures available show that in 2022 technical and vocational education and training activities reached 13,662 people (47% women and 53% men,) while business skills training reached 69,239 people (78% women and 22% men.) The majority of these activities currently happen in rural areas.

A selection of handcrafts made by Afghan refugees in Pakistan — Concern has worked with 120 Afghan women who have sought refuge in Pakistan to help them develop new skills and livelihoods. In collaboration with a number of local social enterprises, the women have been exposed to new techniques and designs, and their embroidery work has been incoporated into a variety of products with are sold internationally under the Made51 brand. They have been displayed at events from Geneva to Hong Kong and are avilable for purchase at made51.org. Photos: Concern Worldwide

Woman modeling an embroidered blouse — Concern has worked with 120 Afghan women who have sought refuge in Pakistan to help them develop new skills and livelihoods. In collaboration with a number of local social enterprises, the women have been exposed to new techniques and designs, and their embroidery work has been incoporated into a variety of products with are sold internationally under the Made51 brand. They have been displayed at events from Geneva to Hong Kong and are avilable for purchase at made51.org. Photos: Concern Worldwide

“Basically, we’re aiming to equip people with the practical skills and knowledge needed to build a sustainable income source, either in their own business or as an employee,” according to Jenny Swatton, Concern's Advisor on Social Protection and Economic Inclusion. “Technical training focuses on hands-on skills applicable in sectors, which are crucial for immediate income generation, for example climate-smart agriculture. Vocational training provides targeted instruction in trades, emphasizing skills that are directly marketable in community settings – things like construction, tailoring, metalwork, hairdressing and so on. Meanwhile, business skills training covers foundational aspects of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and small-scale business management.”

A cookery school in Haiti — Dolores Remy leads a professional skills training course, part of the “Building Hope & Opportunities in Haiti” integrated urban program in Cité Soleil, Port au Prince. Many young people in the area have little formal education and there are few jobs or income-generating opportunities. Photo: Kieran McConville/ Concern Worldwide

Partner up

Back in the day, the model was pretty straightforward. Concern staff would either provide the training themselves or contract skilled individuals to deliver courses under their supervision. Today, Concern employs a multifaceted approach, using four primary delivery models: direct provision; partnerships with other NGOs; collaboration with government bodies; and engagements with the private sector. Sometimes it can be a combination of some or all of the above.

“When these diverse providers work together, they create a holistic training model that combines grassroots insight with structured support and innovation, fostering sustainable, community-oriented interventions that are equipped to thrive in a dynamic economic landscape,” according to Abdulkadir Ibrahim, Concern’s Acting Program Director in Somalia.

Labor market assessments are important. “You need to know that you’re training people for the right thing,” explains Abdirahman Barkhad of Concern's local partner in Somalia, YouthLink. “Assessments will help identify gaps in the market and forecast skill demand."

A trainee welder in Somalia — Concern works with local partner YouthLink in Somalia to provide a variety of vocational and technical skills courses, including tailoring and welding. Many young Somalis were denied the opportunity to complete their academic education because of conflict, so skills training is providing them with an economic lifeline. Photo: Mustafa Saeed/Concern Worldwide

Probably Concern’s biggest delivery mechanism for business skills training is the “Graduation” model, first pioneered by BRAC in Bangladesh and used extensively in different iterations across the world. It’s an integrated, five-step methodology aimed at transitioning extremely poor populations into sustainable livelihoods. You can read more about our graduation work here:

Training is not just confined to “development” contexts. Millions of people around the world are displaced, either living in camps or informal settlements, or scattered throughout host communities. Often there are valuable opportunities for enterprise and income generation within the displaced population itself, a much more dignified and reliable alternative to emergency aid.

Concern adopts a country-specific approach, tailoring its strategies to the unique needs and conditions of each region.

Women in Lebanon making cheese — Concern has been working with Syrian refugees living in northern Lebanon to help them develop small business opportunities. Many already have skills like cheese making, and the training helps them formalize their production methods to meet local standards and understand the business landscape in their adopted home. Photos: Jason Kennedy/Gavin Douglas/Concern Worldwide

A syrian refugee in Lebanon with cheesemaking equipment — Concern has been working with Syrian refugees living in northern Lebanon to help them develop small business opportunities. Many already have skills like cheese making, and the training helps them formalize their production methods to meet local standards and understand the business landscape in their adopted home. Photos: Jason Kennedy/Gavin Douglas/Concern Worldwide

Adapt and advance

On Concern’s decades-long training journey, there have been some valuable lessons learned along the way. “We aim to continuously monitor and evaluate the programs and incorporate that knowledge into future course design,” according to Jenny Swatton. “For example, our team in Afghanistan has discovered that the training of people in groups is particularly beneficial, as more advanced and literate members can assist others who struggle with the content. In Somalia, our local partner NGO, YouthLink, has seen the value of promoting exchanges between entrepreneurs and program participants.”

A group of young women in Sierra Leone — Many young women in Sierra Leone drop out of school early for a variety of reasons, including teenage pregnancy and lack of money for fees. The EAGER program, run by Concern, has been helping to provide new opportunities, either for further education or skills training. Graduates of the program are now involved in businesses like catering, tailoring, and retail, while others have taken up apprenticeships as plumbers and electricians. They receive ongoing mentorship from volunteers across their community. Photo: Kieran McConville/Concern Worldwide

Looking to the future, the Concern scoping study has a series of recommendations, including the development of modular, adaptable curricula, improved accessibility for those with limited digital literacy, and continuous feedback mechanisms.

Regine Kopplow says that the importance of technical, vocational, and business skills training will continue to grow in the coming years. “It’s a critical pathway for empowering individuals and fostering economic growth, and so we need to keep expanding and improving on what we do.”