TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 2012 State of the Field in Youth Economic Opportunities
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Workforce Development
- 1.1 Defining the Issues and Key Participants
- 1.2 Where are the Donors on Workforce Development?
- 1.3 Lessons Learned
- 1.4 Where Do We Go from Here?
- 1.4.1 Key Challenges
- 1.4.2 New and Growing Opportunities: Adapting to and Taking Advantage of Disruptive Innovation in Accreditation, Certification, and Portability
- 1.4.3 Broadening Stakeholder Base to Contribute to Industrial Policy
- 1.4.4 Integrating and Professionalizing the Youth-Focused Workforce Development Field
- Chapter 2: Role of Government and Policy
- 2.1 Governments Should Analyze Demographic Trends and Project for Future Workforce Needs in Order to Design Effective YEO Approaches and Attract New Investment
- 2.2 Match Training and Education with Current and Future Industry Demand
- 2.3 Modernizing Antiquated Labor Codes can Remove Barriers to Job Creation and Youth Entry into Labor Markets
- 2.4 Collaborate with Schools and Ministries of Education (MoEs) to Identify How YEO Programs Can Enrich Education through Economic Skill-Building
- 2.5 Effective Advocacy Strategies Seek to Fill Gaps in Curricula and Complement Government’s YEO Efforts
- 2.6 Governments’ Investment in Economic Opportunities for Rural Youth Could Stem Urban Migration
- 2.7 Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here
- Chapter 3: Growth-Oriented Business
- 3.1 Growth-Oriented Entrepreneurs Fuel New Job Creation and Create New Wealth for Societies
- 3.2 Growth-Oriented Entrepreneurs Need Investors, Access to Publicity, and Mentors in a Comprehensive Package of Support
- 3.3 AGYW Require Specialized Support to Make the Jump from Entrepreneurs to Employers
- 3.4 Taboos about Money can Limit Entrepreneurs’ Aspirations; Especially for Rural and Women Entrepreneurs
- 3.5 Debate Exists on How (or whether It’s Possible) to Identify Entrepreneurs
- 3.6 Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here
- Chapter 4: New Model: Micro-Consignment
- 4.1 Micro-Consignment is a Low-Risk and Flexible Sales Model that can be Used to Identify, Train and Inspire Young Entrepreneurs
- 4.2 Micro-Consignment can be Used to Introduce Green Technology and Other Socially Beneficial Products into Hard to Reach Markets, Thus Providing an Additional Value- Add to Communities as Well as Entrepreneurs
- 4.3 Conclusion
- Chapter 5: Working with and Supporting Marginalized, Vulnerable and At-Risk Young People
- 5.1 Supporting Enterprise Development for Marginalized Populations Means Changing Perceptions about Those Populations by Key Stakeholders
- 5.2 Planning, Persistence and Commitment is Necessary to Improve the Income Pathways of Extremely Marginalized Young Women
- 5.3 At-Risk and Gang-Involved Youth Benefit from a Proven Enterprise Development Strategy that Supports and Challenges Young People as They Transition to Employment and Positive Social Contributions
- 5.4 Practical, Experiential Learning Opportunities Facilitated by People Who Have Entrepreneurial Experience Allow At-Risk Young People a Chance to Develop Business Skills in Safe Settings
- 5.5 Protection Components Need to be Built into Every Step of YEO Program Design in Order to Mitigate Situation-Specific Risks for Displaced Girls and Young Women
- 5.6 Involving Men and Boys in Programs can Facilitate Long-Term Change of Social Norms that Negatively Impact AGYW
- 5.7 Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here
- Chapter 6: Integrated Approaches to Achieve Economic and Nutrition Outcomes
- Chapter 7: Asset-Based Approaches: Building and Protecting Assets of AGYW
- 7.1 Investment in AGYW Needs to Happen Early; Between 10 and 14 Years of Age
- 7.2 Protect AGYW by “Repelling” Those Who Threaten Them and Their Assets
- 7.3 Locate the Dependency Burden, Especially the Cost of Children More Equitably Between Males and Females
- 7.4 Advocating for Legal Codes that Respect Marriage, Inheritance and Property Rights for Women is Critical to Protecting AGYW’s Assets
- 7.5 Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here
- Chapter 8: Youth-Inclusive Financial Services and Capabilities
- 8.1 Policy and Regulation Play a Critical Role in Increasing Youth Access to Financial Services
- 8.2 Taking a National Approach to Youth-Inclusive Financial Services Requires Coordination between Key Public and Private Actors
- 8.3 Youth-Friendly Market Research around the World is Helping to Identify Trends in Youth Financial Behavior
- 8.4 Youth-Inclusive Product Development can Challenge an Institution to Balance Customer Needs with its Bottom Line
- 8.5 Some YFS Models are Beginning to Show Real Evidence behind How and Why They Work
- 8.6 Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here?
- Chapter 9: Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Evaluation
- 9.1 Utilizing a Mixed Methods Approach will Result in a more Comprehensive and Accurate Evaluation of a Program
- 9.2 Developing Outcomes and Theories of Change that Capture the Goals of the Program and Assumed Causal Pathways to those Outcomes are Critical to Building Evidence about a Program’s Impact
- 9.3 Selecting the Right Indicators will Streamline Monitoring & Evaluation Efforts, Provide a Base of Comparison with Other Programs, and Reduce Reporting Errors.
- 9.4 Effective M&E Instruments will Ease Implementation and Enhance Data Quality
- 9.5 The Financial Diaries Methodology can Contribute to Understanding How Young People in Conflict-Affected Settings Manage their Finances; thus Facilitating Effective YEO Program Design in Humanitarian Contexts
- 9.6 The DAP Provides a Short, Easy-to-Use Method that can be Translated to Various Contexts in Order to Measure Certain Developmental Assets and Change in those Assets over Time
- 9.7 Randomizing and Matching Address Attribution and Selection Issues Allowing for a More Accurate Understanding of Program Impact
- 9.8 Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here
- Chapter 10: The Role of Technology in YEO Programming
- 10.1 Mobile Technology Improves Access to Financial, Employment and Entrepreneurial Services, Especially for Rural or Other Hard-to-Reach Populations
- 10.2 Continued Advancements in Connectivity and Energy-Saving Technology Will Facilitate Technology use for Reaching Marginalized Populations with YEO Programs
- 10.3 Effective Expansion of Technology for YEO Promotion will Require Adult, as Well as Youth Buy-In for Success
- 10.4 Technology can Lead to Net Job Creation and Allow Young Entrepreneurs an Entry Point to the Business World
- 10.5 Creating Safe Environments for Girls to Learn and Utilize Technology will Reduce the Gender Gap in Technology Adoption and Help Level the YEO Playing Field for Girls
- 10.6 Conclusion
- Chapter 11: The Role of Education Entertainment, Social Media and Social Marketing
- 11.1 Designing Effective Messages is just as Important as Deciding How to Disseminate Them
- 11.2 Social Media Strategies Require a Long-Term Commitment to Building a Cohesive Identity and Interacting with the Audience
- 11.3 Prepare to Interact
- 11.4 Know Your Audience; Know They Might Surprise You
- 11.5 Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here
- Chapter 12: Support for Youth Economic Opportunity in the MENA Region
- 12.1 Workplace Exposure and Civic Engagement can Help Young People Develop Realistic Job Expectations and Make More Effective Decisions about Their Future
- 12.2 Creating Dialogue between Universities, Vocational Training Centers, and Employers about Employment Skills is a Critical Step towards System Change
- 12.3 Entrepreneurship is an Important Part of Increasing Youth Economic Opportunities in MENA, but it is not a Panacea
- 12.4 Conclusion
- Chapter 13: Donor Strategies and Initiatives
- Chapter 14: Associations in Support of Youth Economic Opportunity
- Chapter 15: Conclusion
- Annexes
- Annex I: Acronyms
- Annex II: Definitions
- Annex III: 2010-2012 Resources on Youth Economic Opportunities
- Annex IV: 2012 Learning Events Related to Youth Economic Opportunities (Conferences, Workshops, and Courses)
- Annex V: Participating Organizations in 2011 Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference
- Annex VI: 2011 Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference Program
- 1.1.1 Electronic Adaptations to Assessments Reduce Costs and Turnaround Between Data Capture and Analysis
- 1.1.2 2. Blend Technology and Traditional Methods to Enhance Data Collection for Hard-to-Reach Populations
- 1.1.3 Use Free or Low-Cost Tools to See Significant Reduction in Data Collection Costs
- 2013 State of the Field in Youth Economic Opportunities
About the "State of the Field" Publications
The annual “State of the Field in Youth Economic Opportunities” publication is a synthesis of the lessons learned, promising practices, and recommended next steps shared by more than 400 leaders from 50 countries each year at Making Cents International’s annual Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference. read more
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