USAID EMPOWER Private Sector aims to create jobs by promoting firm-level competitiveness and building workforce skills in sectors with the highest potential for growth. Companies targeted for support are primarily in the wood, apparel, energy, ICT, tourism and metal sectors. This $14.4M, five-year program started in July 2014.

Job Creation
Job creation embodies USAID’s successful implementation.

4,778 jobs created in 5 years. 

Jobs by sector 

  • Wood 1422
  • Apparel 566 
  • Tourism 109 
  • Metal 107
  • Energy 439
  • ICT 1462
  • Other 675

Jobs for Women and Youth USAID strongly supports the concept that a country’s real economic success depends on full
integration of women, youth, and minorities in the workforce, at all sectors and levels.

  • Women 1790
  • Youth 1432
  • MInorities 483

Co-finance
USAID consistently seeks co-funding with other donor projects and Government of Kosovo (GoK) agencies engaged in private sector development in Kosovo.

  • $4.73MM disbursed by USAID
  • $17.4MM leveraged by firms
  • $2.15MM leveraged by collaborating institutions

Trainees
Most of USAID’s investments in Workforce Development are based on the potential for creating sustainable jobs during or shortly following the skills-related activity. 

  • Attended training 4,119
  • Employed 1,672
  • Trainees completed internships/on the job training 2,668

Sales Increase
Strategic partners attributed increased sales over their baseline sales of $197MM versus the cumulative target of $100MM and over $90.6MM in exports versus the cumulative target through Y5.

Trade Fairs
USAID supports strategic partners to increase market opportunities through visits and exhibitions at trade fairs.

  • 623 firms attended 77 fairs

Results from participation:

  • Direct Sales: $20.62MM
  • Projected Sales: $25.05MM

Life of project targets: USAID EMPOWER is on target to achieve the following life of project targets. 

  • 5,000 new jobs
  • $100M sales increase of beneficiaries 
  • $50M export increase
  • 400 Beneficiary companies 
  • 3.0X investment leverage 
  • 80 new adopted technologies  

Results through September 30th, 2019

Sponsored by USAID in partnership wuth SIDA.