General Program & Policy Design

S4YE's Impact Portfolio- A Factbook

This factbook is designed to aide practitioners and highlights interesting design elements from the 44 youth employment programs that make up S4YE's external community of practice, the Impact Portfolio. Projects from leading organizations such as Harambee, Samasource, Generation, Save the Children, Aga Khan Development Network, Knack, and many more are part of this community.

Taking a Systems Approach to Youth Employment in the Ghanaian Construction Sector: A Case Study

The knowledge brief describes Global Communities' approach to implementing sustainable workforce development interventions at scale that targeted the informal construction sector. It outlines the key elements of the approach, assesses whether there are early signs of sustainability, and presents some recommendations. 

Managing the Employment Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis: Policy Options for Relief and Restructuring

This note discusses policy options for managing the employment impacts of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. The note pays attention to the labor market and institutional context of most low and middle-income countries, where informality is large and where existing institutions often lack mechanisms to effectively reach businesses and workers in the informal economy. 

Review of the Evidence on Short-Term Education and Skills Training Programs for Out-of-School Youth with a Focus on the Use of Incentives

Short-term education and skills training programs are a popular way to meet the needs of unemployed, out-of-school youth by providing them with an opportunity to quickly acquire qualifications and skills that can lead to productive employment. This new paper reviews the global evidence to identify which programs are most effective at delivering results. Based on the findings, recommendations are offered for the future design of these training programs.

Demand-Driven Skills Training and Results-Based Contracting : Lessons for Youth Employment Programs

This report reviews the literature, identifies project examples, and derives lessons for the design and implementation of demand-driven training (DDT) and results-based financing (RBF). A summary of the existing literature on international experiences with DDT and RBF, including good practices, is presented here. This review aims to identify the most effective ways to deliver these programs and provide general lessons on their design and implementation.

Making Employment Services and Active Measures Sensitive to the Needs of Young People

Young people are particularly disadvantaged in Kosovo’s labor market, facing high unemployment and precarious working conditions. In response, promoting youth employment has become a policy priority for the Government of Kosovo. Supporting young people’s employment prospects must consider that young people are different than adults. First, they face age-specific barriers in the labor market, such as lack of work experience and limited professional networks.

VET Toolbox

The VET Toolbox supports countries by strengthening their capacity to implement VET and labor market reforms that enhance labor market relevance and employability for all, particularly by: applying evidence-based VET and labor market programming; operationalizing private sector involvement in VET and labor market activities, and, enhancing the inclusion of vulnerable groups in VET and formal and informal labor market activities. The VET Toolbox is a multi-partner project between Enabel, LuxDev, British Council, GIZ, and AFD.