Youth Employment and Business Start-Up (YouLead) Project – Sri Lanka Quarterly Report - Year Three January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021

The program seeks to develop a tight fit between the skills demanded by a competitive economy and the skills possessed by its youth. Despite the nation's rapid growth and employment opportunities in high-growth sectors, youth unemployment stands at over 20% in many locations. The program's key objectives are to increase youth employability skills in targeted sectors, improve the quality, relevance, and delivery of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and increase prospects of successful self-employment. YouLead's regional focus is in the 12 districts with the highest unemployment among young women and men, including Jaffna, Galle, Kandy, Mannar, Kegalle, Badulla, Kilinochchi, Hambantota, Nuwara Eliya, Monaragala, Matara, and Matale. The priority sectors selected for the project are tourism and hospitality, construction, information and communications technology (ICT), and healthcare. YouLead has established partnerships with various organizations, including Global Communities, American Chamber of Commerce, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Skills for Life, and Verité Research, to achieve its objectives. During the quarter, YouLead restarted in-person training activities as COVID-19 vaccination rates increased and infection rates decreased. The program implemented strict protocols for social distancing and gatherings of more than 10 people required prior approval from Sri Lankan government health officials. YouLead also maintained a significant presence online through social media, webinars, and other forms of online trainings. The program kicked off the year by forging three impactful new partnerships that will provide 2,900 youth with career guidance and create 100 rural youth entrepreneurs. Save the Children International, ChildFund International, and Sri Lanka Unites joined forces with YouLead in January 2021. The partnership with Save the Children International will provide professional career guidance for at least 2,400 rural youth from tea estate families each year. YouLead will train 130 SCI managers located at their 50 outreach centers and provide them with learning materials and toolkits for their beneficiaries. The partnership with ChildFund will upskill and mentor 1,050 emerging young entrepreneurs selected from 11 districts in Sri Lanka. YouLead will support the accreditation of at least 35 entrepreneurship trainers in the USAID-supported entrepreneurship development curriculum and provide the beneficiaries with access to learning materials and business mentors. ChildFund has pledged to provide seed capital grants for 10% of the youth who complete the training, guaranteeing more than 100 new youth entrepreneurs. The partnership with Sri Lanka Unites will raise awareness on career and professional development with SLU's more than 25,000 members. YouLead will also continue to support the TV Derana Startup 2021 reality program, which aims to promote entrepreneurship and innovation among Sri Lankan youth. YouLead's continued efforts to restart in-person training activities and maintain a strong online presence have enabled the program to make significant progress in achieving its objectives. The partnerships established with various organizations have also contributed to the program's success in providing career guidance and entrepreneurship opportunities to Sri Lankan youth.