Training & Skills Development

These guidelines encompass steps and methods for Organisational Development (OD) support for Youth Organizations (YO) in the agribusiness sector with the goal to strengthen their self-sustaining structures, systems and service delivery. A Youth Organization (YO) in this context is defined as an organised, member-driven grouping of young people pursuing particular purposes (e.g. promotion of agribusiness for income generation and employment, public or political representation of youth agripreneurs in a region).

The Toolbox for Rural Youth Employment is a vital resource for enhancing employment opportunities in the agri-food sector and supporting rural development. This comprehensive guide offers a curated selection of effective tools and methodologies, with detailed instructions and practical examples demonstrating their application in various contexts. It also provides links to additional resources for a deeper understanding and effective implementation.

This is a report about the Nestlé Needs YOUth Initiative. It discusses the initiative's goals and achievements over ten years. The initiative was launched to improve young people's employment prospects. It has since expanded to include entrepreneurship and agripreneurship programs. Nestlé Needs YOUth has provided thousands of work opportunities and training sessions. The program emphasizes mentorship and aims to empower young people.

Program engaged young people in Nigeria, Mali, Somalia and Somaliland, with a mission to unlock their potential, build their confidence and equip them with the essential skills required for successful careers or entrepreneurial ventures. The program ran from 2016 to 2023 and was developed and executed with diverse local partners and a consortium of partners in the Netherlands, and funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This study explores how a shift towards a circular economy could create jobs, particularly in areas with high unemployment and declining mid-level occupations. Analyzing different growth scenarios, the research suggests even a modest expansion could create over 200,000 jobs by 2030 in the UK, potentially lowering unemployment and mitigating skilled job losses. A more ambitious circular economy could generate even greater employment opportunities.

This Short Note talks about how the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA Ghana), and Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO Global) trained about 100 leaders of waste pickers and collectors groups in Accra and Tema on best waste management practices and procedures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection.

This is an article about workforce development in global value chains. It discusses the skills needed to participate in the global economy. The article also details challenges faced by countries trying to educate their workforce to meet these demands.

This paper includes key recommendations for and considers the role of industry leaders, governments, education and training providers and civil society in closing the skills gap and championing VET for the circular economy. 

Financial health for young entrepreneurs means that they are aware of and able to access appropriate resources required to start and grow their enterprises, can manage their business finances, and have confidence in their financial future. Youth Business International (YBI) and ten of its member organizations from Africa, Asia and Europe have developed an evidence-informed approach that can systematically improve how young entrepreneurs can be supported to access appropriate financial services and products.

This report showcases a successful pilot program in Ethiopia's Somali region that connected female entrepreneurs with a digital mentoring platform offering valuable resources. The program's key to success was a multi-faceted approach:traditional marketing to raise awareness, in-person support for initial platform navigation, a mobile-friendly low-bandwidth design for easy access, simplified registration to minimize barriers, and clear educational materials to empower women to leverage the platform's full potential. This demonstrates the feasibility of connecting female entrepreneurs in low-