Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
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Tel: 202-589-2600
Email: iesc@iesc.org
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Workforce and Higher Access to Markets
Approach
The program strengthened high-growth, exporting, and export-ready small and medium enterprises with targeted interventions that added capacity and removed binding constraints to their competitiveness. It centered on a grants program that requires cost-share from grantees, typically small and medium enterprises and public and private technical and educational institutions. Targeted interventions included support in workforce development, market access, and organizational capacity. During the fourth and fifth years of the program, IESC focused exclusively on grants aimed at improving the country’s workforce.
Improved the workforce
The program provided grants to recruit or retrain the labor force with adequate skills. Workforce training grants served immediate, specific training needs with capacity building packages for training centers in public and private technical and vocational institutions. Educational centers of excellence grants helped develop and showcase cutting-edge workforce training and re-training learning centers in targeted sectors. The excellence grants aim to capitalize on launching new or improved centers of excellence in existing universities, vocational and technical schools, and secondary schools.
Increased market access
The program supported companies in target sectors to identify and access new customers and markets, such as by preparing them to attend major regional and international trade fairs.
Improved product quality
The program supported to small and medium enterprises to introduce quality management systems, make technology upgrades, and receive necessary certifications required by target markets.
Summary
Bosnia and Herzegovina is home to a growing number of small and medium enterprises that are adopting international standards to supply sophisticated European Union (EU) customers, yet the economy is not generating enough jobs. Originally a three-year program, USAID’s Workforce and Higher Access to Markets (WHAM) Activity received a two-year extension to continue stimulating job creation by advancing the country’s trade integration with and expansion into the EU and regional markets. The program focused on accelerating employment at small and medium enterprises in the metal processing, wood processing, textile and apparel, and information and communications technology sectors.
Program details
- Funder: USAID
- Duration: 2017 to 2022
Award: $6.5 million
Results
- Helped small and medium enterprises achieve 293 transactions with foreign customers
- Supported 54 companies to obtain 94 new certifications
- Supported 60 small and medium enterprises to obtain new or upgraded technologies
- Facilitated an 18.2% increase in sales and a 13.6% increase in exports
- Trained 2,657 workers and jobseekers
- Created 2,333 new full-time jobs, 33% of which were for women and 60% for young people