Youth Employment Programs - Independent Evaluation Group

Box C.2Global Partnership for Youth Employment (GPYE)The partnership was established in 2008 as an alliance between the International Youth Foundation,the YEN, the Arab Urban Development Institute, and the Understanding Children’s Work(UCW) Project. It is funded by the World Bank’s Development Grant Facility with $8 million overfive years. GPYE aims to build and disseminate evidence on youth employment outcomes andeffective programs. Focus countries are in the Middle East and North Africa region and Sub-Saharan Africa. The GPYE works in three key areas:• Applied research and learning: Generates knowledge on the constraints youth are facing intheir transition to work, and on “what works” to increase their employability. Several studieshave been produced (for example, Senegal, Sudan, Rwanda, and Lebanon).• Policy dialogue: Promotes effective policy dialogue among stakeholders to raise awarenessand share knowledge about youth employment issues and policies. Several conferences wereorganized to promote evidence-based policy dialogue.• Local engagement: Support technical assistance for local governments, innovative pilotprojects, and capacity building for stakeholders from the public sector and civil society.Technical assistance is provided to local governments in the Middle East (for example, inTripoli, Aleppo, and Cairo).Source: http://www.gpye.org/or self-employment in participating countries, including Afghanistan, Jordan,Lao PDR, Liberia, Nepal, Rwanda, South Sudan, Haiti, and Papua New Guinea.The number of beneficiaries per country ranges from approximately 900 inJordan to 3,500 women in Nepal. AGI includes a skills development componentfocused on developing basic numeracy and literacy skills, technical skills, 1life skills, and business skills during training sessions lasting up to one year.Implementation started in 2010 in selected countries, and impact evaluationsare ongoing.98 Youth Employment Programs