Integration: a new approach to youth employment programs: general guidelines for project teams

This guide aims to provide general guidance to project managers and project teams on the design and implementation of integrated, cross-sectoral youth employment programs. Traditionally, youth employment programs have focused primarily on supply-side interventions - that is, those dealing with individual constraints to accessing or moving between jobs. Many of these programs have had limited labor market impacts. On the other hand, most interventions on the demand side, which focus on providing support to firms, do not specifically target job creation - and fewer still specifically target youth. Governments and development institutions too often implement activities and programs that target either the supply side or the demand side of the labor market without coordination or an explicit intent to create linkages that will maximize the impact of their interventions and improve job opportunities for youth.

The aim of the integrated programs described in this guide is to bring together supply- and demand-side interventions to simultaneously address three interrelated objectives: Promote job creation for the target population; Improve the quality of jobs young people already have, many of which are in the informal sector; Help prepare young job seekers for jobs or to move from low- to higher-quality jobs.

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