Quarterly Report, April-June 2012: Youth Employability Skills (YES) Network

The network's primary objective is to enhance the skills and employability of young people, particularly in the areas of work readiness, vocational education, and job matching. Facilitating public-private dialogue to improve demand-supply labor exchange at the local level is a key program activity. This involves establishing Local Economic and Social Councils, which aim to bring together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to discuss labor market needs and opportunities. As of the end of the second quarter, 15 councils have been established, with 12 of them operational. The network also focuses on developing venues for meeting immediate skill/training needs of the labor market and career development opportunities. This includes Work Readiness Skills training by youth-serving NGOs, Career Centers, and Job Club Activities. By the end of the second quarter, 1,200 youth had participated in Work Readiness Skills training, and 12 Career Centers had been established. Strengthening the job services capacity of the Employment Service Agency (ESA) and private job matching companies is another key objective. This involves providing Work Readiness Skills training at ESA Centers and implementing the Work-Based Learning Program. As of the end of the second quarter, 300 youth had participated in Work-Based Learning, and 12 ESA Centers had been equipped with necessary resources. The network also provides continuing professional development opportunities for teachers in Vocational Educational Training (VET) schools. This includes Work Readiness Skills training for VET teachers and the implementation of the Work-Based Learning Program. By the end of the second quarter, 150 VET teachers had received training, and 12 VET schools had implemented the Work-Based Learning Program. In addition to these activities, the network is working to integrate productive connections with current and planned USAID and other donor workforce-related activities. This involves gathering field data for the evaluation of the Work Readiness Curriculum (WRC) implementation in the first three municipalities and gathering baseline study field data in three new municipalities. The network is also implementing the second round of Filming Best Practices (FBP) workshops and maintaining and updating the project database. Looking ahead to the next quarter, the network plans to continue facilitating public-private dialogue, developing venues for meeting labor market needs, and strengthening job services capacity. The network will also continue to provide continuing professional development opportunities for VET teachers and implement the Work-Based Learning Program. Additionally, the network will focus on integrating productive connections with current and planned USAID and other donor workforce-related activities.