West Africa Vocational Education Inc

WAVE (West Africa Vocational Education) envisions a future where every young African is empowered to choose and become what they imagine. We work to level the playing field for underserved African youth by building an ecosystem that supports relevant skills development and increased incomes for work-ready youth.

WAVE empowers youth (ages 18-35) by equipping them with the essential life skills they need to get a job, start a career, and build a bright future. We also advocate for the widespread adoption of a “competencies over credentials” philosophy to encourage employers to hire hardworking youth from low-income communities.

WAVE began in Nigeria by turning undervalued talent into a reliable pool of human capital for local businesses.

Since 2013, WAVE has been transforming the education-to-employment landscape with a dual approach that resolves gaps in the supply (education system) and demand sides (hiring practices).

We upskill youth with our Screen-Train-Match-Support model through direct training and growth partnerships. After training, we match youths to jobs with our 350 employer partners in high-growth industries. Alumni receive support through periodic professional development workshops to encourage lifelong learning.

WAVE’s Impact to Date
WAVE’s significant impact has helped develop Nigeria's youth workforce and improve its larger education-to-employment system. Since 2013, WAVE has:
● Reached nearly 70,000 youth: WAVE has trained 4,312 unemployed youth directly and 65,240 through growth partners on essential life skills that have enabled them to gain new
opportunities for themselves and their families.
● Secured stable employment for 73% of WAVE graduates
● Increased income potential by 200%: WAVErs’ average starting salaries are twice the national minimum wage of $83, and four times their income prior to WAVE. Their average salary over an 8-year period after training remains high at $145, 344% higher than their pre-training income.
● Partnered with over 300 employers: A growing number of businesses are investing in WAVE's workforce model, helping us create a more equitable career landscape for Nigerian youth by hiring employees based on skills rather than academic credentials.