The Global Gateway is a strategic initiative by the European Union aiming to boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy, and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. It represents a cornerstone of European foreign policy. Through a collaborative Team Europe approach, Global Gateway brings together the EU, its Member States, and European financial and development institutions to mobilise the private sector to leverage up to 300 billion Euros investments promoting sustainable growth across the globe, including in Eswatini. 

A collaborative effort between the Eswatini government and the EU, along with local and international partners, is bringing to life the Global Gateway in Eswatini through the programme Skills for Youth Employability, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme in Eswatini.

Global Gateway initiatives in Eswatini aim to transform the labour market by strengthening vocational education and training in order to provide young people with the skills required to meet the country’s needs, with a particular focus on the economic empowerment and social inclusion of unemployed youth, women and other disadvantaged groups (people with disabilities, in rural areas, orphans, etc.). 

By promoting a demand-driven technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system through the strengthening of market-oriented skills training and alliances with the private sector, and by empowering disadvantaged young people and women in vulnerable situations, these projects aim to support their employability and self-employment, and to enhance their economic empowerment and social inclusion.

These initiatives are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Government of Eswatini's National Development Plan. 

Skills for Youth Employability, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme in Eswatini

The European Union remains a key player in Eswatini's education sector and job creation, contributing an investment of EUR 27 million (SZL 540 million) through the Skills for Youth Employability, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment programme to provide inclusive and quality training in priority growth sectors for skills development and decent and green and digital job creation.

Launched in May 2025, the programme aims to support TVET providers to offer inclusive access and quality training that responds to current and future skills needs in priority sectors (renewable energy/energy efficiency, agri-food/agro-processing, hospitality and sustainable tourism, ICT and creative industries, manufacturing including textiles). Through the involvement of private sector organisations working in the key sectors, the initiative also aims to improve the provision of inclusive TVET, including digital and green skills development, workplace-based learning schemes, decent employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship.

Skills for Youth Employability is a collaboration between the Government of Eswatini and its relevant ministries, the European Union Delegation in Eswatini, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and GIZ. 

To complement this programme, two other educational projects are being implemented in parallel by Finnish Red Cross and International Trade Centre to support the empowerment of disadvantaged youth and women in vulnerable situations through strengthening their employability, entrepreneurial and life skills, support their mental health and psychosocial support and reducing primary and secondary school learner dropout. Supporting measures are also in place in the form of technical assistance to enhance the overall impact of the Eswatini’s priority of human development and social inclusion.

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