Youth Employment Programs - Independent Evaluation Group

Bank Group Support to Skills DevelopmentThe Bank Group supports three main types of technical skills building: formaltechnical education and vocational education training (TVET), short-termskills training targeted to unemployed youth, and remedial skills trainingtargeted to disadvantaged youth.The few tracer studies find positive employment and earning effects of Bankand IFC-supported reforms in TVET. The TVET voucher program in Kenya suggestsa higher training uptake if vouchers are unrestricted. Dropout ratesfor students are also lower in private sector training. Bank-supported TVETprograms emphasize accreditation; however, potential for manipulation of theaccreditation process can devalue its credibility as an instrument for accountability.Non-formal, short-term skill training has a mixed effect around the world, withwomen often faring better than men. Bank impact evaluations find no impactfor youth in Chile and the Dominican Republic, whereas in Colombia formalityand earnings increased. The Bank also supports the transport and residentialexpenses of trainees, which is helpful for youth from lower-income groups.RecommendationsThe following two main recommendations are offered to guide the BankGroup’s future work in youth employment in client countries where youthemployment is a concern to the government or the World Bank/IFC:Apply an evidence-based approach to youth employment operations.• Improve knowledge about youth employment by supporting governmentcollection of labor market outcome data for youth in relevant surveys.• Monitor the employment situation by age groups by providing statisticsfor inclusion in country strategies and Country Economic Memorandums.• Ensure that World Bank and IFC youth employment interventions areinformed by relevant analytical work or due diligence on their strategicrelevance that also addresses likely costs of possible interventions.• Monitor or evaluate age-specific employment and earning outcomesin Bank operations, IFC investments, and Bank analytic and advisoryactivities and IFC Advisory Services designed to address youth employmentissues. This would include measures on gender and socioeconomicgroups.At the country level, take a strategic approach to youth employment byaddressing the issue comprehensively, working across teams.• Help countries address youth employment issues comprehensively, fromthe demand and supply side. This requires greater cross-sectoral collaborationwithin the World Bank Group and with other donors as appropriate.Overview xvii