Food assistance for training

What is FFT? 

WFP’s Food Assistance for Training (FFT) programme helps people who face hunger and poverty build practical, market-relevant skills so they can improve their livelihoods. The programme combines short-term support for immediate food needs with training and pathways to income, so people can build greater self-reliance and resilience.  

The FFT programme is especially relevant for people living in cities, women, young people entering the labour market, refugees, people with disabilities and forcibly displaced communities. It is designed to help them access opportunities through small business creation or wage employment, depending on the local context.  

How FFT works 

WFP’s FFT supports participants in two ways at the same time:

1. Covers immediate food needs through food, cash or vouchers, so people can take part in training without putting extra pressure on their households.  
2. Helps people build livelihoods by offering training, coaching, work experience, financial capital, equipment and links to employers, markets or business opportunities.  

This integrated approach matters because when families are struggling to eat, it can be difficult to spend time learning new skills or starting a livelihood activity. By combining food assistance with skills development, WFP helps create the conditions for people to participate consistently and reduces the risk that hunger forces them to drop out. 

What kind of training does WFP support? 

WFP tailors training to local contexts and the job market. This can include:

• Basic skills, such as literacy and numeracy.  
• Technical and personal development skills, such as wool processing, beekeeping, carpentry, tailoring, bakery, handicrafts, leadership and critical thinking.  
• Entrepreneurship and financial literacy, to help people start or grow small businesses. 
• Digital skills, including partnering with organizations to connect trainees to work opportunities in the online job market.

To help people turn new skills into real income opportunities, WFP complements technical training with on-the-job skills development, mentorship, market connections and access to equipment or finance for small business creation. 

Who is the FFT programme for? 

WFP's FFT programme supports people who are food insecure and have limited access to stable livelihood opportunities and natural resources. This often includes:

• Women and young people facing barriers to decent work.
• Refugees and internally displaced people seeking greater self-reliance.  
• People with disabilities and other under-served groups.

WFP designs activities around local realities, with support that can include flexible schedules, childcare, safe spaces and other measures that make it easier for women and other groups to participate. 

Why this approach matters

Hunger is not only about food in the short term – it is also linked to whether people have safe, reliable ways to earn an income. By helping people develop skills that match local and emerging markets, WFP supports economic independence, resilience and food security – transitioning people out of humanitarian assistance. This is especially important in places affected by displacement, economic pressure, climate shocks or limited access to land and natural resources. 

Working with governments, communities and businesses

WFP works with governments, UN partners, civil society and the private sector to make sure training is relevant and linked to real opportunities. These partnerships can help shape training content, open pathways to internships or jobs, and strengthen local systems that support livelihoods beyond the life of a single project.  

Private sector engagement is particularly important. Businesses can help identify the skills they need, offer work experience and hire graduates, among other services. This helps WFP connect training to real economic opportunities.