Youth Development Programme: Decent Work for Young Workers

The Centre’s Youth Development Programme creates decent work opportunities for young workers in supply chains by offering tailored support to out-of-work or disadvantaged youth seeking employment, while simultaneously assisting employers in recruiting and nurturing a motivated, youthful workforce. These programmes serve as effective tool for child labour prevention and remediation, providing safe alternatives for youth engaged in hazardous work or deemed at risk.

Through the Youth Development Programme, companies gain access to a comprehensive framework designed to integrate decent work opportunities into their supply chains while nurturing the growth of young employees. This initiative includes specialised training and guidance on employing young workers, incorporating onsite assessments and walkthroughs to identify suitable roles and workstations that mitigate risks associated with hazardous work. Moreover, we conduct thorough reviews of internal policies and management processes, including recruitment protocols, to ensure compliance with international and local regulations.

Accessible to employers of all sizes in both manufacturing and agricultural sectors, the Youth Development Programme empowers businesses with the expertise necessary to confidently engage young workers. By conducting comprehensive assessments of current juvenile worker policies and procedures, including interviews with relevant staff, our team identifies specific needs and tailors training and support accordingly. 

The Youth Development Work Programme delivers training and support including: 

• Responsible recruitment of young workers

• Identifying common risk areas and hazardous work for young workers

• Suitable workstations/job roles for young workers 

• Meeting legal requirements related to young workers

• Best practice benchmarking

• Creating a supportive environment and management approach for young workers

The Centre’s Youth Development Programme also includes packages of soft skills and developmental training to support young workers, with a focus on: 

• Building self-recognition and positive attitudes towards work and life

• Improving practical skills to reduce common work-related stress

• Equiping workers with basic concepts and skills related to communication and conflict management

• Developing insights and skills in conducting self-assessments and personal action planning for career development

The training will cover keys topics in young workers’ professional and personal development, such as:

• Technical skills development: on- and off-the-job skills training, including job rotations

• Basic education: literacy skills, financial literacy and basic computer skills

• Soft and life skills, career skills, and prevention of gender-based violence

What does the programme achieve?

• The programme reaches the most vulnerable out-of-school youth: 67% of those participating in the Vietnam programme left school for economic reasons and many worked in hazardous conditions or in the informal sector before - with several children working in night clubs before joining the programme

• Long-lasting improvements in retention rates: The youth development programme in Vietnam and Indonesia led to a 58% increase of young workers planning to stay for two years or more

• Significant improvements in young worker management, including introduction of grievance mechanisms, identification of suitable tasks for young workers, customised production targets etc.

• Improved health and safety conditions within participating factories: 99% of past programme participants felt safe and expressed high satisfaction with working hours

• Increase in learning opportunities for young workers: past programme participants received technical & life-skills training & gained practical skills in sewing, quality control, career development etc.

Contact us to discuss how The Centre’s Youth Development Programme can support your business to create decent work opportunities for young workers and recruit juvenile workers with confidence.