1. What Works in Helping Out-of-School/Out-of-Work Young People Get Jobs
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The Essential Components of a Effective Livelihood Skills/Alternative
Learning System Targeting Vulnerable Out-of-School/Out-of-Work Youth,
Ages 18-25.
By
Jack K. Boyson1
Having worked for several decades all over the world as an international school-to-
work/youth workforce development specialist in planning, managing and
evaluating such programs, I am often asked today what I consider to be the most
essential components of an effective youth workforce development program.
Here is my list:
Component 1: Fundamental is the establishment of formal multi-sector
alliances with local key public/ private/ community-based
actors first.
I believe that any Livelihood Skills/ALS Development Program for out-of-
school/out-of-work youth should be “co-created” in partnership with key
community stakeholders, including city government officials, leaders of business
associations, educational officials, leaders of neighborhood associations, and leaders
of community-based nonprofits serving young people.
The establishment of formal strategic alliances through community engagement and
“buy in” is the central element of any successful local partnership focusing on
livelihood skills and ALS development.
Strategic alliances are essential for creating an enabling environment for mobilizing
and “unlocking” local resources, support, and expertise, and above all, creating local
ownership which leads to longer-term organizational and service delivery
sustainability.
Such alliances combine the strengths of individual organizations into a more
"wholistic," coordinated approach avoid "stove piping" and duplication of efforts
and resources, while making limited resources go further.
For more information on how to create and sustain strategic alliances, review the
chapters on how to create, maintain and evaluate strategic alliances in the
publication entitled "Creating Social Enterprises through Strategic
Alliances." which I co-authored with Richard Steckel.
1 Contact information: email: jackboyson@yahoo.com; home office number: (+1) 410 235 0201; cell
phone: (+1) 443 562 1512

2. Component 2: A rapid appraisal of the dynamics of the local community and
marketplace is next. The rapid appraisal should include an:
(A)Understanding of the trends, needs, and opportunities in the local labor
market and employer/industry/trade association/chambers of commerce
projections of human resource demands and new-hires qualifications and skills
requirements, and emerging trends in business expansion or retrenchment.
By conducting a labor market appraisal, an enterprise/services mix assessment
and consumption study--including supply and demand--one can identify gaps,
opportunities and competitive advantages, and also the factors that inhibit or
promote local economic development and growth.
(B)Understanding of the demographics of vulnerable young people in targeted
localities and their perceptions toward the challenges they encounter toward
adulthood, how they gain marketable skills and what those skills are, and
expectations and satisfaction with the services provided by the various sectors to
prepare them for success in education, the workplace, and in the community.
A demographic profile of out-of-school/out-of-work young people for each
neighborhood should include: age, gender, poverty, household composition, civil
status, education (years of formal schooling, graduation rates by level of
education, early school leaving, etc.), employment and unemployment rates
disaggregated by age and gender, information on underemployment, and
socioeconomic characteristics.
A thorough assessment should also be conducted on how young people in
targeted neighborhoods presently gain marketable skills in order to identify
within the skills development chain any gaps, weaknesses, or opportunities for
value added enhancements. And any barriers and/or limitations for young
people living in selected neighborhoods to access a particular job skills
development or educational service (e.g., distance, cost, hours of operation,
gender emphasis, age limitations, and level of awareness of services) should be
understood.
But most important is to talk to and understand the needs, wants, and desires of
out-of-school/out-of-work young people. An assessment of the kinds of jobs they
are most interested in getting should be conducted to get a sense of their
alignment with local market needs. It is also important to capture their
perceptions towards unhealthy behaviors /challenges (e.g., crime, violence,
abuse, drugs, other hazards, etc.) encountered in their neighborhoods which
become obstacles to their positive development.
For a guide on how to conduct a rapid community assessment, see the
International Youth Foundation's publication entitled Ensuring Demand-
Driven Youth Training Programs: How to Conduct an Effective Labor Market

3. Assessment."
For actual copies of sample rapid community assessments for Jordan and
Lebanon that I was responsible for conducting, including findings,
methodologies, and questionnaires, see Building on Hope: Findings from a Rapid
Community Appraisal in Jordan, and Closing the Hope Gap: Findings from a Rapid
Community 'Appraisal of Youth in the Al-Fayhaa Union of Municipalities in North
Lebanon.
(C) Understanding the public/private/nonprofit institutions that help young
people gain the marketable skills they need to become productive adults in
terms of availability, level of quality of the services provided, and their
effectiveness through a formal mapping exercise.
As much information on formal livelihood skills and ALS training service
providers as is available should be gathered, including contact information,
types of services available, eligibility requirements, utilization rates by
age/gender, completion/ graduation rates, drop‐ out rates, internship
/apprenticeship rates; placement /employment rates, linkages of job training to
local market (where relevant), service delivery duration, linkages
/referral/coordination with other types of service providers, tracking and
reporting systems, measures of effectiveness and impact, longitudinal studies on
graduates (where relevant), etc.
Component 3: The use of appraisal data to fine-tune and finalize any
livelihood skills/alternative learning system programming
approach based on local market demand.
Information gathered from the three-track appraisal should indicate the degree to
which there is a mismatch between what out-of-school/out-of-work youth living in
a particular neighborhood want to do for work, their qualifications or the lack of
them to perform a particular job, further educational requirements, and the
mechanisms they use to gain marketable skills and their relative level of quality, and
what the labor market demands.
Similarly, the appraisal will also identify potential job opportunities, the skills
needed to get those jobs in a particular locality, and potential income
generating/entrepreneurship opportunities.
The intervention for livelihood skills training and ALS should then be put together in
a final plan outlining the livelihood skills development and job creation approach—
as well as the option for reinsertion into the education system—in close
coordination with the key actors of the strategic alliance described above.
Component 4: Effective communication strategies for outreach to out-of-
school/out-of-work young people in relevant ways.

4. The youth workforce development program description and eligibility criteria
should be disseminated via the most relevant communication channels used by
potential participants, taking into account special considerations for those difficult
to reach and their literacy levels.
Attention getting posters and flyers and visual media reinforced by personal "older
near-peer street recruiters are the most effective mechanisms for reaching out to
vulnerable youth where they are. Provision should be made for enrolling both
literate and non-literate participants.
Component 5: A range of assessments for youth candidates for job training
should be done including: job readiness testing, psycho-social
counseling, literacy and numeracy testing, certification of grade
level achievement, career guidance and job planning within a
Formalized Case Management System.
At the onset of a Livelihood Skills/ALS Development Training period, particularly
for very vulnerable participants, a job readiness assessment should conducted of
each participant to ascertain their level of motivation and aptitude for participating
in skills development programs.
Because of trauma from living in blighted neighborhoods, it may also be necessary
to provided participants with psycho-social assessment and counseling services by
professionals to begin to address any potential long-term trauma that may inhibit
their level of engagement in any of the skills development tracks. This service
should continue as long as deemed necessary by professionals and referrals should
be made for more serious cases.
Literacy and numeracy testing as well as certification of grade level achievement
should be conducted with each enrollee to determine if they have adequate levels
needed to participate in the livelihood skills and/or ALS training program. If
potential participants lack such skills, an enrichment and leveling program should
be offered.
Individualized guidance should be given to each participant to help him or her
determine the level of achievement they may wish to pursue. For example, the
educational level (e.g., elementary, and/or secondary, or beyond) or what
occupation they will pursue either as an employee or an entrepreneur and the
specific trainings and competencies needed to be mastered, length of time, etc. to
become qualified for a particular occupation.
A written plan for each participant should be developed for tracking purposes. All
assessments will be tracked within an individual case management tracking system.

5. Component 6: It is imperative that at least five skills development tracks be
offered in any formal job training program for disadvantaged
youth:
(a) Life and employability skills, including such topics as:
• Personal competencies, such as managing strong emotions,
personal responsibility, respecting others and self, listening,
dealing effectively with criticism, refusal skills--standing up
for oneself, and how best to respond to stressful situations;
• Problem solving, managing conflict, and reducing
intimidation and bullying;
• Healthy behaviors, such as the power of a positive attitude,
reproductive health, STI/HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, gender
roles and stereotypes, and gender-based violence and sexual
abuse ; and
• Effective workplace behaviors and habits, how to be a good
employee and team player, money management, respecting
authority, etc.
• There should be a minimum of at least 35 to 45 contact hours
of classes in LES topics.
(b) Entrepreneurship, including such topics as:
• State of the art curriculum;
• Specialized vocational/technical knowledge, skills and
competencies that are market driven;
• How to create a business;
• Exploring the market;
• Needed determining financial risks and goals;
• Developing something to sell;
• Researching the market;
• Preparing a business plan;
• Making the sale;
• Reaching potential customers;
• Managing a business;
• Managing finances;
• Obtaining and developing a competent workforce;
• Financing a business;
• Planning for the unexpected;
• Expanding a business.
(c) Vocational/ Technical Training, including such topics as:
• State of the curriculum, pedagogical methodologies, and
equipment to train on;
• Specific vocational/technical knowledge, skills, and
competencies that are market driven and linked to actual
jobs;

6. • IT Skills, as may be needed;
• Business English, as may be needed;
• All vocational/technical training will be certifiable by the
appropriate vocational/technical education and skills
development bodies.
(d) Alternative Learning System (ALS), including such topics as:
• Remedial literacy and numeracy training as needed up to
levels required for particular vocational/technical trainings;
• Requisite curriculum for taking the GED using an experiential
learning pedagogical approaches.
(d) Service Learning, including such topics as:
General Service Learning (for giving back to the neighborhood
and practicing life skills):
• Making personal connections with service learning;
• Why volunteer;
• Identifying a service need within a neighborhood;
• Selecting a neighborhood service project;
• Planning a neighborhood service project;
• Solving task and team problems;
• Conducting the service learning project;
• Concluding the service learning project.
Mediation/Conflict Resolution:
• Theory of conflict;
• The social transformation of conflict (conflict analysis—7
stages);
• The five approaches to conflict management most often
employed to address conflict: competing; collaborating;
compromising; avoiding; and accommodating;
• The role of young people as mediators;
• Mediator self awareness;
• Mediation techniques:
• Ground rules;
• Summarizing;
• Questioning;
• Checking in;
• Recognizing and dealing with strong emotions;
• Decision making and agreements;
• Recognizing success;
• Reconciliation techniques;
• Mediator standards of ethics and practice.
Community Emergency First Responder (CERT):
• Disaster preparedness;

7. • Preparedness for violent situations;
• Fire safety;
• Disaster first aid;
• Light search and rescue operations;
• Disaster psychology.
Often young people are eager to enroll in as many tracks as possible, several of
which, depending on the time and capacity of the participant, may be taken either
simultaneously and/or sequentially.
All participants should be required to take Track 1, Life and Employability Skills
(LES) training and Track 2, Service Learning. The service learning track serves as a
laboratory for the practical application of the concepts and skills gain in the LES
track as does Track 4, ALS.
To help contribute toward the creation of a more enabling environment for peaceful
neighborhoods, all participants should also be trained in conflict resolution and
mediation skills.
In addition, giving the changes in global warming and an increase in destructive
weather patterns, the service learning component may also incorporate basic first
responder training and establish Youth Community Emergency Response Teams to
serve as first responders in times of disasters and to give back to their communities.
For some employers, it will be sufficient for a young person to have LES training
only as they will provide further on-the-job training necessary for a young person to
gain the requisite technical skills needed to be employed.
Those young people who already possess a marketable skill or wish to run some
sort of enterprise could go to Track 2 Entrepreneurship after completing life and
employability skills and service learning training.
In some cases, some individuals will need to complete the employment track first to
develop the requisite life and vocational/technical skills before taking the
entrepreneurship track in order to be able to provide some sort of technical services
as a small entrepreneur.
For those young people who elect to get vocational/technical skills training, they
may go directly to Track 3 after completing Tracks 1 and 5.
For young people who primarily wish to complete their elementary and/or
secondary studies, they may select Track 4 ALS, as well as continue their studies to
meet higher-level educational, literacy, and numeracy eligibility requirements to
pursue a particular vocational/technical track.
Some young people may desire to combine further ALS studies with

8. entrepreneurship and/or vocational training which they should be able to do,
assuming completion of Tracks 1 and 5, scheduling and time permitting.
Recreational, sports and social activities should be offered to all participants to
create a sense of belonging and group integration, enhance socialization skills, build
self-esteem and just have some fun and recreation.
Component 7 Opportunities for practical applications of concepts and skills
gained in each of the five tracks.
For Track (a), Life and Employability Skills, a practical application of concepts
and skills learned through the implementation of service learning projects.
For Track (b), Entrepreneurship, through internships and shadowing of local
successful entrepreneurs.
For Track (c), Vocational/Technical Training, through apprenticeships,
internships, and on-the-job training.
For Track (d), Alternative Learning System, reinsertion in the formal classroom
as may be appropriate or continuation of ALS program for accreditation of the next
grade levels until high school completion.
Also, opportunities for a practical application of LES concepts and skills while in the
classroom as well as through the conduction of service learning projects in
neighborhoods.
For Track (e), Service Learning, a practical application of LES concepts and skills
through the conduction of service learning projects in local neighborhoods,
including mediation and conflict resolution skills for dealing with volatile situations
within the neighborhood, and emergency first responder (CERT) training to deal
with emergencies.
Component 8 Assistance in the transition to work, though coaching, on-going
job placement support, access to further education and skills
training, and/or a continuation of service learning.
Youth workforce development staff should be trained to serve as “transition”
professionals capable of offering a full range of services and linkages listed below
for each of the five tracks:
For Track (a), Life and Employability Skills, job placement services through the
job placement support center:
• Job banks/ postings /job fairs;
• Guidance for CVs and interviews;
• Facilitation/follow-up of application processes;
• Outreach to employers and follow up.

9. For Track (b), Entrepreneurship, business development support services through
a business support service center:
• Access to credit and capital;
• Legal Services;
• Accounting/ HR services, etc.;
• Marketing/branding advice & services.
For Track (C), Vocational/Technical Training, job placement servicesthrough a
job placement support center:
 Job banks/postings/kpb faors;
 Guidance for CVs and interviews;
 Facilitation/follow-up of application processes;
 Outreach to employers and follow up.
For Track (d), Alternative Learning Systems, educational support services:
• After school tutoring;
• Assistance in accreditation and equivalency certification;
• Group work in preparing for GED;
• Transportation services to test sites.
For Track (e), Service Learning, support services to young social entrepreneurs
who wish to start neighborhood-based service organizations involving peers and/or
adults:
• Legalization process;
• Board development;
• Strategic planning;
• Branding and marketing;
• Resource mobilization;
• Project planning;
• Project management
• Project budgeting;
• Staff and volunteer recruitment and management;
• Tracking, monitoring and evaluation, and
• Reporting.
Component 9 Post-intervention services such as mentoring/coaching, alumni
engagement, satisfaction assessments of youth participants, parents,
and employers among others should be offered.
For Track (a), Life and Employability Skills:
• Mentoring/coaching;
• Check-in on job status;
• Alumni engagement;
• Satisfaction assessments of participants, parents, and employers.

10. For Track (b), Entrepreneurship:
• Mentoring/coaching;
• Check-in on business progress;
• Alumni engagement; and
• Satisfaction assessments of participants.
For Track (c), Vocational/Technical:
• Mentoring/coaching;
• Check-in on business progress;
• Alumni engagement; and
• Satisfaction assessments of participants.
For Track (d), Alternative Learning System:
• Mentoring/coaching;
• Check–in on school attendance and performance status;
• Alumni engagement; and
• Satisfaction assessments of participants, parents, and teachers.
For Track (e), Service Learning:
• Mentoring/coaching;
• Check–in on civic engagement status;
• Alumni engagement; and
• Satisfaction assessments of participants, parents, and neighborhood leaders.
Component 10 A rigorous monitoring and evaluation system needs to be
established early on to measure change and gather of lessons
learned on what works for continuous quality improvement, to
understand what's working and what could be better, and to
measure change.
A youth workforce development M&E System should be online incorporating all
fields in the registration form, case management form, any pre/post assessments,
competency testing, as well as the tracking of output and outcome indicators.
Tracking will be done especially on why participants for example, drop out, refuse to
participate, decline to take jobs, quit jobs, are let go, etc.
All implementing partners should be staffed with capable M&E professionals
including meticulous data entry staff and have access the sections of the online
system they are responsible for.
A carefully systematized paper based tracking system should parallel the online
system for validation/verification purposes.
A decision will need to be made in the planning phase of the workforce
development program on the design of its evaluation system (e.g., experimental,

11. semi-experimental, formative/summative, etc.).
Financial provision should be made for significant research and publishing of
“learnings” and “what works” for each of the five tracks including doing studies on
the service mix of supports, tracks offered, as well as the depth, duration, and breath
of content and skills training packages to determine optimum mix and cost
effectiveness.