Tracer Study S4IG - Inclusive Growth · Guesthouse owners were more likely to present an ... realized the strong link between attractiveness and cleanliness of their premises and

Tracer Study – S4IG

Final Report

Tracer Study – S4IG

CONTENTS

I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

II FINAL REPORT 3

1. Introduction and Background to the Tracer Study 3

2. Findings 4

i. Guesthouse Masterclass 4

ii. Beauty Salon 6

iii. Employability Skills 8

iv. Bakery 10

v. Supreme Chef 11

3. Conclusions 13

MDF Training and Consultancy, October 2019

Final Report

Tracer Study – S4IG 1

I Executive Summary

MDF was commissioned by S4IG to conduct the Tracer Study following the completion of

phase one of the program. The aim of the Tracer Study is on how and why the program

has worked thus far, and the wider changes due to the program intervention. The

summary of findings can be found in this report. Short write-ups from the 80 respondents

have been developed. In addition, 13 stories of significant change have been created using

input from project participants with particularly interesting cases.

S4IG is not a traditional livelihood or economic development project. The purpose of the

project is about improvement of the TVET system in the targeted sectors and districts in

Sri Lanka. This tracer study, as well as the overall monitoring systems, is therefore not

solely aimed at measuring quantitative changes in income or in traditional indicators.

Rather, we want to gather perceptions of change, and understand the reasons behind the

successes of the models piloted. In considering the actual needs and demands in the

market in the tourism value chain, and the learning systems needed to address skills gaps,

informal work must also be an integral part in the design of the strategy.

Since this tracer study is highly qualitative, a large amount of effort went into supporting

enumerators to undertake the data collection with sufficient rigor and quality to ensure

valid and reliable qualitative research outputs. However, the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri

Lanka, and consequent impacts on the tourism sector, have made it challenging to

measure which project interventions are likely to be successful.

Although the timeline was very short for a tracer study, in this case it is appropriate as it

would not be effective to conduct it after more tourism ‘seasons’ have passed. The Tracer

Study does explore causal links between project implementation, benefits for

participants, and changes. However, because it is wholly qualitative in research questions

and methodology, it is not rigorous enough to be taken as a scientific determination of

attribution.

The Tracer Study is expected to provide useful learning material for the S4IG team, who

may use it for reflection on effectiveness of their programme, increased understanding of

how changes happen, and taking decisions on program management, or discussion with

stakeholders. Some of the findings of the Tracer Study may be unexpected, either

positively or negatively. However, it is likely that many members of the S4IG team already

know the majority of findings of the Tracer Study, but that this research provides

independent evidence of what has already started to transpire. Finally, the Tracer Study,

and specifically the Most Significant Change stories, will provide useful input for

showcasing the stories of success of the project models to stakeholders.

The survey and the MSC data gathering methodology was wholly qualitative, and semi-

structured and designed to draw responses to research questions through questioning

techniques. The findings represent the project participants’ perceptions and perspectives,

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designed to answer the research questions. The research questions were formed based

on challenges posed by previous research, and by problems needing to be solved before

decision-making on the next phase of the program.

The results of the Guesthouse Masterclass project are unique, as guesthouses act as

‘hubs’ along the tourism value chain. Guesthouse owners were more likely to present an

overview of their observations of the industry in their areas.

The results of the Beauty Salon project offer a unique perspective on the challenges and

opportunities for women-run businesses, and provide an interesting insight into changing

attitudes to women working in the tourism sector.

The results of Employability Skills, Bakery, and Supreme Chef projects show how the

opportunity to secure employment or establish self-employment has an effect on

livelihood and career prospects.

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II Final Report

1. Introduction and Background to the Tracer Study

MDF South Asia (MDF) was commissioned by Skills for Inclusive Growth program (S4IG)

to conduct a Tracer Study in the 4 districts of project implementation: Batticaloa, Ampara,

Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee. The aim of the Tracer Study is to provide qualitative

evidence of how and why changes have occurred, and the wider effects for the

communities and across the tourism value chain.

The aim of conducting the Tracer Study is to collect direct perspective on the changes

from the S4IG programme, as perceived by the programme participants, and develop

stories of Most Significant Change as well as individual short write-ups for each

participant. The Tracer Study therefore provides unique ‘snapshots’ of change. The focus

of the Tracer Study will be on how and why the program has worked thus far, and the

wider changes due to the program intervention.

One important factor to the context of the Tracer Study was the Easter Attacks which

occurred in major hotels and churches on 21st April 2019, which resulted in a large

downturn in tourism business across the island.

Key deliverables of the Tracer Study for the S4IG team are the final report, MSC stories,

case studies, as well as the raw data and transcription of MSC interviews and survey notes.

From these elements, the S4IG team will be able to recognise the progress of the program

in creating results, what kind of models are successful, perceptions of participants,

perceptions on the training providers and other stakeholders such as associations,

relevance, what the outcomes of the projects are for the participants, and wider changes.

S4IG can use this learning for different purposes, such as: steering and adjusting the

program design, implementation, and monitoring; generalising learning and generating

evidence for how models work and for review of the Theory of Change; sharing learning

and stimulating dialogue with other development actors or stakeholders; or for visibility

of the program.

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2. Findings

i. Guesthouse Masterclass

Opinions on Skills Development From the Tracer Study research findings, we can conclude that two-thirds of respondents

are positive that they learned specific skills relevant to guesthouse management through

the S4IG program. This represents the majority of the respondents from Batticaloa and

Polonnaruwa districts. In fact, all respondents from Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa had a

positive opinion on skills development from the program. Specific skills learned included

English language, marketing, management and business skills and basic hotel skills (for

example room arrangements, food and beverage).

The remainder of the respondents, approximately a third, were more negative about

having attained skills through the S4IG program. The negative respondents are all from

either Ampara or Trincomalee districts. Reasons cited for not having learned from the

program included that they did not receive the trainings, that they were already familiar

with the concepts taught in the trainings and coaching, and in two cases, language was

mentioned as a barrier for learning. However, information from the periodic appraisal

system by S4IG shows that some of the guesthouse owners who responded negatively

about skills development through the program, did in fact make improvements in key

performance areas (marketing, site and landscape, customer service, etc.) over the

duration of the program.

Benefits of Skills Development

Positive changes in staff knowledge, attitude, and behavior was the most beneficial

change from the skills development program, with more than two-thirds of guesthouse

owners citing this. This includes acquisition of task-based skills, such as room arrangement

as well as substantial improvements in attitudes, problem-solving skills, and sense of

responsibility in their staff. This results in improved quality of service for customers.

Almost 50% of the guesthouse owners indicate an improvement in positive feedback from

customers. The feedback includes verbal and written feedback, and online reviews, from

both local and foreign tourists. The guesthouses which report that they are receiving

improved feedback and reviews, are the same guesthouses which cite that their staff have

improved in skills and attitudes and are practicing better customer service. We can

therefore conclude that skills development for staff is a key factor in driving customer

satisfaction in this sector.

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Benefits enjoyed by the guesthouse owners include changes made to the premises or to

the management style, designed to improve business. These changes were made due to

the S4IG Guesthouse Masterclass training reinforcing hospitality concepts, and

suggestions made by coaches. Two of the biggest changes implemented by guesthouse

owners was the increase in services for guests, and renovation of physical facilities and

attributes. More than half of the Tracer Study respondents stated that they added value

to the customer experience by including welcome drinks or tea and coffee, offering tour

arrangements, and adding food services. Furthermore, the Tracer Study shows that the

S4IG appraisal and coaching has encouraged at least half of the Guesthouse Masterclass

participants to invest in renovating their premises. Many increased capacity in terms of

number and types of rooms, renovated existing rooms, or renovated other areas such as

reception and outdoor areas. Through the S4IG training and coaching, guesthouse owners

realized the strong link between attractiveness and cleanliness of their premises and

improvement of business perspective. This conclusion is backed up by the appraisal data,

which shows a definite improvement in at least one area among half of the guesthouses,

and strong improvement in multiple areas among at least a third of the guesthouses.

More respondents have plans to improve their premises further. Most respondents who

have not started renovations, indicated that they would like to do so but lack financial

capital; they either do not desire to take a loan or they do not have access to bank loans.

Employment Conditions

More than a third of the guesthouse owners in the Tracer Study described methods by

which they have actively improved conditions for women employees, and/or had positive

experiences and attitudes to hiring women in the sector. Almost a third of guesthouse

owners expressed that they would be willing to hire People with Disabilities or actively

expressed that they see no problem in recruiting People with Disabilities; however, so far

few have done so, and the reasons why are not explicit

Future Prospects

Approximately half of the guesthouse owners who participated in the Tracer Study were

happy with the services they received through S4IG, and this corresponds directly to those

who reported that they had gained skills through the program. A significant proportion of

these would recommend the program to others, and recognise the value of participating

in the program, even that it is worthwhile to pay for the training and coaching services.

Wider Effects of the program

It was less clear whether the improvements made due to the S4IG program resulted in an

increase in income for the business. This is mostly due to the mitigating factor of the

tourist decrease after 21/04. It may also be because at the same time as increasing

numbers of customers, many guesthouse owners also invested in upgrades, causing a

disparity between revenue generation and profit. However, since it is clear that the

program has directly resulted in business improvement and customer satisfaction, it can

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be assumed that the program participants would have improved their business

performance.

However, one clear result from the Tracer Study was that among guesthouse owners

who had improved their business, their status in the community has improved, and their

immediate family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances have developed a positive

attitude towards the industry by observing their success in the business.

ii. Beauty Salon

Opinion on skills development We can conclude that a vast majority of almost 90% of the Tracer Study Beauty Salon

respondents are positive that they learned specific skills through the S4IG program. These

respondents are spread over all four districts. However, almost half of the respondents

said that the training was not complete and did not provide all the skills which would be

useful for their business. Some of these respondents explained that they already had

enough experience with skills such as haircutting, and that it would be useful to have been

taught other skills such as massage techniques. While the overall opinion on skills

development is positive, a third of respondents had problems fully participating, or

observed problems for other participants. Reasons cited include language barriers, or the

training being conducted in a far location.

Benefits of skills development

The most outstanding positive effect that the S4IG program had for beauty salon owners

was an increase in confidence. More than half of the respondents cited this as one of the

positive consequences of participating in the program and growing their businesses, and

many of them strongly emphasized the effect, contrasting their current situation of

feeling that they can ‘do anything’ with lacking a sense of direction or ambition prior to

the program.

Beauty salon owners clearly indicated that they initiated business improvements as a

result of the skills development through the S4IG program. More than two-thirds made

changes to their business, by either investing in the salon premises and facilities, or by

changing the services offered for customers.

Upgrading the salon premises included relocation or expansion of the salon premises,

separating different areas for different services or installing partitioning, installation of

professional sinks, chairs, and tables, or investing in new technology equipment. By

investing in the salon premises, they did not only increase attractiveness of their salon for

customers, but they also increase the capacity for serving multiple customers at the same

time and catering for an increased number of services for each customer. Participants

speculated that the location of the salon was of high importance, as through the S4IG

program they supposed more strategically about their business model. Those who had

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premises on a road were more easily able to secure additional clientele, whereas those

who operated from their home or did not have a shop frontage on a main road were at a

severe disadvantage. Almost a half of participants said that they still needed to make

major changes to the salon, including potential relocation, but do not have the funds for

investment. More than a third have plans for making such changes in the future.

The other major change made by more than two-thirds of the beauty salon owners is

offering a wider range of services, and packaging the services better for the customers.

New services include treatments like gel nails and nail art. However, none of the beauty

salon owners confirmed that they were now able to offer massage, which is seemingly

high in demand. The respondents explained that they were more conscious about packing

these services for customers, including by offering different price points, and targeting

customers with different offers rather than performing on request only.

As a result, a large proportion of beauty salon owners report that the number of their

customers has increased, and also that reviews and feedback from their customers has

improved. They often qualified this by explaining that their core clients come to them for

all their beauty needs, and even that customers were willing to pay higher for services.

Almost half of the beauty salon owners expressed that qualified staff are important.

According to the research participants who explained this, it is because trained, qualified

staff increase the capacity of the business, so that more than one customer is able to be

attended to at one time. Several owners stated that trained staff are also important for

delivering good customer service.


Almost half of the beauty salon owners stated that they wish to hire more women, and

that they believe that working in the beauty industry, and potentially linking with the

tourism industry, is a good career path for women. In fact, a quarter of the participants

explained that beauty salon ownership allows them to fix their own working hours and

appointments, and that they were more easily able to balance family responsibilities

happily. However, few beauty salon owners thought that the industry would be suitable

for people with disabilities. Several stated that it may be a risk to employ people with

disabilities in the industry, as they have a concern about customer reaction.

Future Prospects

More than half of the beauty salon owners would recommend the program to others, and

several mentioned that they have already been encouraging friends and family to become

involved. A large proportion said that they were satisfied with the services, and some

thought that the training would be worthwhile to pay for.

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Wider effects of the program

A large proportion of respondents said that their status within the community and family

had improved. Some explained that they have a sense of respect from others due to being

a business owner, and earning some income for the family. Others reported a

phenomenon of other women and community members approaching them for advice on

business matters. Almost forty percent of the research respondents asserted that their

family and husbands were supportive, for example by taking on further household

responsibilities to be flexible around the salon business. What is striking is that although

some of the research respondents mentioned that in the past, their families were

reluctant for them to be involved in the industry, the families were now wholly of a

positive opinion about the beauty and tourism industries. A quarter of women described

that there is some ‘incorrect’ perspectives in society on women working in the beauty and

tourism industry. This indicates that participation in programs such as S4IG, or knowing

successful cases of women business owners, has a positive influence on attitudes.

In several interviews, beauty salon owners explained that competition between salons

had an effect on retention of talent. In some instances this was expressed negatively, and

in others the research participants thought it was good for others to also open their own

businesses and increase the standard of beauty care in their area.

iii. Employability Skills

Opinions on skills development From the research findings of the Tracer Study, we can conclude that a large majority of

the participants (75%) were positive and reported satisfaction with the skills taught as

part of the program. 60% of the respondents said that the skills learned were directly

relevant to the job, and able to be used on the job. Technical job-related skills were

related to the industry of work, such as hygiene or beverage making. Moreover, soft skills

such as communication and customer service, trust, welcoming, efficiency, language

skills, and discipline, were reported with a high frequency by the respondents, across all

types of jobs.

60% of participants highlighted skills which were not taught through the program, which

they believe would be useful. Specific skills mentioned (spoken) English, IT, cake icing, bar

skills.

30% of respondents mentioned that they, or others, faced challenges in fully participating

or learning. Reasons mentioned include transportation issues, that trainings were

organized in far places, language issues and particularly that there was not Tamil language

instruction, and that the payment offered during the on-the-job training was too little,

causing participants to not complete the experience satisfactorily.

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At the time of conducting the interviews, approximately 70% of the interview respondents

were employed as per the MIS information; however, several respondents were ‘at

home’. It was unclear whether their formal employment had formally ceased, perhaps

due to the downturn after 21/04.

Half of the respondents reported that they were able to secure their job, or in a few cases

of self-employed persons, to increase their income, directly because of the skills learned

from the training. Working efficiently, to at least the same level as, or even higher than,

experienced colleagues was mentioned by almost a third of respondents. This may be

important for employment prospects.

Similarly, a third of respondents reported improvement of English language skills.

However, a large proportion of these said that only their reading and writing had

improved, and conversations skills had not sufficiently improved. They explained that

conversational skills are what is needed for work in the tourism industry, and therefore

they were not able to benefit from this skill development.


One-third of participants said that their workplace made special provisions for persons

with disabilities and for women. More often, these respondents were engaged with larger

businesses such as East Lagoon or Water’s Edge. While a third said that working in the

industry would be possible for people with disability, many of them qualified that by

saying that it would be difficult for people with disability to perform certain tasks.

Very few participants actively reported that their own conditions had changed positively

after participating in the program. Improvements included salary and flexible working

hours.

Future Prospects

More than half of the respondents have already recommended the S4IG program to

others. A third of respondents recognised that the program was valuable and that it would

be worthwhile to pay for participation; however, it is unclear how many of this number

have the means to invest, as per their statements.

Half of the respondents said that they thought the program would be beneficial and

worthwhile for people with disabilities and women. Many respondents qualified their

responses, for example that people with disabilities and women may need appropriate

conditions, or that they may not be able to do certain tasks, but overall that they should

be able to participate in the industry.

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A large majority of respondents said that they career pathways had been shaped by S4IG,

for example saying that now, after the program, they would like to work in the tourism

industry and are actively pursuing this.

Wider Effects of the program

Half of the respondents directly attributed an increase in their income, through

employment or in a few cases of self-employment, to their participation in the program.

These respondents elaborated that they were able to improve their economic

independence and status in the family, for example by providing for their families or being

able to make decisions about their own money.

From the results of the Tracer Study, we can conclude that there is not a large negative

perception of the tourism industry among the participants and their friends and family.

More than half of the respondents confirmed that their family and friends had a positive

perception of working in the tourism industry, especially after their participation in the

S4IG program, and that they would recommend working in the tourism industry. In fact,

none of the participants said that their family or friends had a negative perception of the

tourism industry.

In terms of participant observations related to attitudes towards cookery careers and

the tourism industry, only a third of respondents knew about the Supreme Chef

television show. Those who knew about it thought that the show raised awareness of

the tourism industry and increased positive attitudes.

iv. Bakery

At the time of the Tracer Study research, approximately a third of research participants

for the Bakery project affirmed through the surveys that they were permanently

employed. However, in some cases it was not entirely clear, and the actual number may

be higher.

Opinions on skills development

Opinions on skills development of the research participants were mixed. A clear majority

of the respondents reported that they were satisfied with some of the skills learned

through the program. It is clear from the Tracer Study results that the skills learned were

useful in the workplace. More than two-thirds of the research respondents asserted that

the skills taught were useful. Almost all of the respondents who said the skills were useful

also said that they were able to work just as or more efficiently as their colleagues. A third

of research respondents directly attributed their ability to secure employment and

increase their income to the S4IG program. However, an equal number reported that

there were desired technical skills not taught as part of the training, or that they were

unsatisfied with the range of skills they were trained in. Similarly, more than half of the

respondents had faced challenges in participating or learning fully in the training, or had

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observed challenges faced by others. Specific reasons cited include lack of Tamil language

instruction, and high workloads coupled with difficult working hours and lower than

expected pay for the on-the-job training. Most of the participants said that they were not

able to increase their English language skills; some of the respondents lamented this as

they believe it is important for customer-facing roles expected of them.


Almost all of the Tracer Study research participants for the Bakery project voiced positive

views about the program and its effect on their career paths. For example, many

participants explained that they were unaware about opportunities for working in the

tourism industry or using professional bakery skills to earn income before the S4IG

training. Since their involvement in the program, they have developed a vision for a

successful career path. Overall, the research participants’ future plans have been shaped

or inspired by their participation in the S4IG program. A clear majority would, or already

have, recommended the training program to others. A proportion, after having

participated, believe that it would be worthwhile to pay for the training.

While almost all of the research respondents were reported to be in some employment

or self-employment situation at the time of the Tracer Study research, just less than half

said that they had actually increased income and were able to improve their lifestyle.


Almost all of the respondents affirmed that they felt their status and respect among family

and society had improved. For instance, many described that they were now able to

provide some money for their family expenses. Moreover, there was a sense of increased

self-confidence, and numerous qualitative statements describing new aspirations for

working in the tourism sector. Half of the Bakery participants think that working in the

tourism industry is a good opportunity, and would recommend this to others.

Furthermore, through the whole experience and exposure, at least half developed their

own opinion that particular skills which are needed for working successfully in the tourism

sector, such as efficiency, building trust, and welcoming customers. Almost half were also

aware of the Supreme Chef program and thought that it had inspired increased positive

perceptions of cookery and working in the tourism sector.

v. Supreme Chef

The sample size for the Supreme Chef research participants was very small. Therefore,

caution should be exercised in interpreting and generalising the findings.

At the time of the Tracer Study research, only two participants were engaged with a

workplace. One of the participants was engaged as a chef. The other participant was

engaged as a cook and a manager with her family-owned hotel. Several other

participants were recorded in the MIS system as being in employment, but from our

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interactions they seemed to not be engaged in the workplace on a day-to-day basis, and

indicated to be on ‘study leave’. It was unclear whether this situation was as a result of

21/04, and whether they can expected to be re-engaged with their workplace as the

situation stabilises. Another two participants had not secured any employment after the

S4IG program, but were continuing with studies on cookery.

Opinions on skills development

More than half of the respondents stated that they learned new and useful skills through

the S4IG training, and many mentioned how their ability to cook with different cuisines

had improved drastically. Many of these respondents said that the skills they learned were

directly useful in the job. Almost half of the respondents report that they were able to

work more (?) efficiently due to the training, and that their English language had

improved, which they felt was important for securing work and engaging in the industry.

However, almost all of the respondents said that they were unsatisfied with the complete

array of topics in the training, and that there were subjects which were not covered fully

or which the participants would have found useful but were not covered. One specific

example that was mentioned by several of the respondents was that only one type of

sauce was taught. Furthermore, more than half of the participants recognized that there

were challenges in fully participating for some, for example because of the location and

time requirements for the training, and lack of Tamil language instruction.


The respondents who were in employment at the time of the Tracer Study research

reported that their workplaces had good conditions for women to work. It was particularly

noted that assistance to participate in Supreme Chef, such as with transportation and a

stipend, helped in enabling full involvement, particularly for distant or disabled

participants.

Future Prospects

Overall, the results of the Tracer Study are very positive for the future prospects for

Supreme Chef. More than half of the respondents have been inspired and given

confidence by the program to plan for a career in the industry. A majority would

recommend the training program to others, and think it is even worthwhile to pay for.

Almost all of the respondents affirmed that they thought the training is worthwhile for

women and people with disabilities. Some participants expressed dissatisfaction that the

S4IG training was not aligned with formal certifications.


The leading positive effect of Supreme Chef was a raising of awareness and positive

attitudes among society, and friends and family, of the participants. All of the research

respondents confirmed this. There is a very high rate of recommendation from the

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participants to join the tourism industry. In high contrast to the other projects, almost all

of the research respondents assured that working as a cook in the tourism industry was

also suitable for people with disabilities, although almost a half also recognized some

difficulties which would need to be managed. Special skills are needed for working in the

tourism industry, according to a majority of the respondents, including English language

skills, efficiency, and customer service.

Half of the participants affirmed that their friends and family had supported them in the

program and have a positive perception of the tourism industry and the cookery career.

Some of the respondents did mention that there was some negative perception among

society; however, almost a half said that they had increased in confidence and gained

more respect from their families and society. This can indicate that participation in the

program does have a positive influence on perceptions of cookery and the tourism

industry.

3. Conclusions • Overall, we can conclude that the S4IG program is effective in developing skills,

and that across all projects, participants were satisfied with the subjects and skills

taught, and the practical aspects of the training. Most of the respondents

emphasized that the skills they learned through the S4IG training were useful and

relevant to the workplace, and that they were able to perform to the same

efficiency and quality as their experienced colleagues.

• For enterprises, one of the main benefits of the program was up-skilling of staff.

MDF recommends to continue allowing enterprise-owner participants to include

their staff in the trainings, or providing learning mechanisms for skills to be taught

in the workplace itself Up-skilling in technical areas resulted in a positive increase

in capacity of the enterprise, for example being able to take on a greater number

of customers at once. Increased ability to communicate and to provide good

customer service among staff was a large positive benefit for the enterprise

owners, and this resulted in more positive feedback from customers.

• Another type of change enterprise owners made due to the training and

suggestions from business coaches was to their premises and facilities. However,

especially for beauty salons which tend to be smaller businesses, it was difficult

for the owners to invest funds or take loans through financing. MDF recommends

that S4IG investigate the possibility of supporting a mechanism for MSME

financing, if S4IG will continue working with this classification of enterprise.

• From the results of the Tracer Study, the future prospects of the program are very

positive, according to the research participants. A significant number report being

satisfied with the training, and already have, or would, recommend the program

to others. MDF recommends to leverage the positive experiences of most of the

participants in gaining momentum for subsequent phases.

• The most clear positive wider effect of the program for participants was an

increase in confidence, career planning, respect from others, and future vision for

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themselves. The increase in confidence was not only to being able to implement

new skills and adapt to the workplace, but also in self-confidence. This relates to

the increased aspirations and career planning among a significant majority of

participants. These participants asserted that after the S4IG program, they

developed goals in relation to working in the tourism industry. In addition, a vast

number of participants, including women and people with disabilities, perceived

that their status and respect had increased among family and society. This could

be particularly interesting for S4IG, as the question of the perception of the

tourism industry had initially presented a potential barrier to effective

implementation of the program. MDF recommends to leverage the positive

influence that a successful experience of the industry has had among the

immediate network of the participants. It would be interesting for S4IG to

investigate whether this is different to potential participants, before joining the

program, as this would show a clear link between S4IG and positive changes in

attitude towards the industry. This could be done through a baseline study or a

wider analysis on stakeholder perception.

• Regarding the perception of women participants working in the tourism industry,

respondents described that there existed ‘incorrect’ views of women working in

the industry, but these views were now outdated. Respondents more frequently

cited that their family had come to support them in their endeavor. This indicates

that the lived experience of women working in the tourism sector is not

necessarily negative, and that the positive experience of women and their

families through the supportive and conducive environment provided by S4IG was

helpful in shaping more progressive attitudes.

• Responses to the question of whether it would be worthwhile for participants to

invest in the training are encouraging. However, it is unclear whether any figures

mentioned by participants are hypothetical or realistic. MDF recommends to

conduct pilot testing or market research to determine the feasibility of S4IG

trainings being conducted for paid participants.

• For the individual participants in the Bakery, Employability Skills, and Supreme

Chef projects, those who had secured jobs due to involvement in S4IG positively

asserted that their incomes and livelihoods had improved. Where individual

participants had explicitly not been successful in securing jobs, it can be assumed

to be because other mitigating factors such as the effects of 21/04, or

geographical distance.

• Across the individual participants in the Bakery, Employability Skills, and the

Supreme Chef projects, there was more reporting of improvement in

employment conditions for women and people with disabilities who were with

more established employers. MDF recommends that S4IG continue working with

medium or larger employers, and collaborate with other agents who may

advocate for or support such employers to provide conducive conditions.

• Although overall participants reported satisfaction with the skills learned across

all five projects researched in the Tracer Study, participants expressed that

further skills and subjects would also be useful and relevant. MDF recommends

to examine these findings in correlation with the skills supply-demand analyses.

The additional skills desired by participants include massage therapies for Beauty

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Salon, conversational English language across all projects, customer service and

communication across all projects, and other specific technical skills such as cake

icing for Bakery participants.

• For certain projects, MDF recommend to investigate purported barriers for fully

participating or learning in the trainings. In particular, these could include

problems faced by participants who are distant to the training locations, to solve

transportation issues. From several comments by participants, we think it would

be a good idea for S4IG to clarify the primary language of instruction in the

trainings, and ensure any language support such as translation is thoroughly

implemented.

Final Report


Documents

Tracer Study S4IG - Inclusive Growth · Guesthouse owners were more likely to present an ... realized the strong link between attractiveness and cleanliness of their premises and