The ILO's global programme on youth aims to promote improved access for young women and men to education and training and to employment and income. The work is coordinated by the InFocus Programme on Skills, Knowledge and Employability.
The programme includes policy-oriented research on ways to integrate youth more effectively into education and work by:
- documenting successful programmes for reducing the number of school dropouts and helping them to return to school;
- identifying innovative pathways from school to work, including better linkages between initial education, training and work experience, and building bridges between schools and employers; and
- evaluating and drawing lessons from labour market programmes for unemployed young women and men.
It is geared at strengthening the capacity of governments and the social partners to address youth employment problems by:
- providing policy advice and technical support to governments on how to develop "second-chance" schemes for young school dropouts;
- raising awareness of successful strategies to combat youth marginalization and unemployment;
- setting up demonstration projects/pilot activities that combine training institutions and enterprises to provide apprenticeship, mentoring or work experience for young persons.
In carrying out these activities, the Unit attempts to send a clear ILO message that the full social and economic integration of young women and men depends on their access to skills and human resource development and employment opportunities. |
