USAID Education: Youth Workforce Development - Education that helps youth prepare for a changing labor market

Oct 15, 2026

USAID Education: Youth Workforce Development outlines how education and skills training enable youth to obtain employment and contribute positively to society. It emphasizes education as a core driver of development and self-reliance, supporting countries’ education systems from pre-primary to higher education. The document highlights labor-market challenges such as high youth unemployment, and describes USAID investments including second-chance education, technical and vocational training, and programs that strengthen career centers and youth entrepreneurship.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

USAID EDUCATION: YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Education for self-reliance and employability

Preparing youth for a changing labor market

USAID programs and examples

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USAID EDUCATION: YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Youth gain the skills they need to lead productive lives, gain employment, and positively contribute to society. USAID believes that education is a foundational driver of development and fundamental to achieving selfreliance. When children and youth go to school and receive training in skills they can use in the workforce and to navigate life, they are able to build more hopeful and prosperous futures for themselves, their families, communities, and countries. USAID works in more than 50 developing countries to ensure that investments in education systems—from pre-primary to higher education—enable all children and youth to acquire the education and skills needed to be productive members of society. PHOTO CREDIT: USAID EDUCATION THAT HELPS YOUTH PREPARE FORA CHANGING LABOR MARKET High youth unemployment has a negative effect on local economies and a young workforce that lacks the skills needed to succeed limits businesses’ ability to grow and contribute to economic growth. The changing world of work demands transferable, foundational, and technical skills to thrive in today’s labor market. As part of education and training, youth need to learn about the world of work—what opportunities exist, how they are accessed, and what skills are required to An estimated 440 million young people will enter the labor market by 2023 in Africa alone. —International Fund for Agricultural Development be successful. USAID investments strengthen local education systems to ensure youth learn the foundational, technical, entrepreneurial, and other critical skills they need to obtain or create livelihoods to support themselves and their families, and prepare them to lead productive lives. Due to discrimination, crisis and conflict, and violence, many young people have missed out on opportunities to acquire the skills and education needed for employment. USAID supports second-chance education programs to serve disadvantaged, marginalized, over-age, and out-of-school children and youth to build foundational skills. USAID also supports secondary education, technical and vocational training, and higher education programs that are relevant to youth and responsive to labor market needs. Half of the world’s population is under 30. Youth can be a positive force for change—with meaningful employment, youth can contribute to astable and strong workforce, global security and economic prosperity. —USAID Youth Policy, 2012 MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION In 2018, USAID programs enabled more than 311,000 individuals to gain new or improved employment by providing them with relevant training and necessary skills. Here are some examples: • In Egypt, the university and technical college systems face funding challenges and misalignment with the needs of employers. In coordination with the Ministry of Higher Education, USAID is supporting 20 sustainable career development centers at universities across Egypt. These new centers will serve over 70 percent of all public university students with specialized employability skills training, networking, and career mentoring. • After years of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, many youth have not had access to education or meaningful employment. The Integrated Youth Development Activity (IYDA) supports Congolese youth through mentoring, coaching, and other learning opportunities to establish their own economic activities. IYDA will provide employability and entrepreneurship training for 8,000 youth and will connect 4,000 youth to employment opportunities. The program is also developing and delivering accelerated learning and vocational training programs in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. • Serbia has a 40 percent youth unemployment rate. USAID supported Impact Hub Belgrade to address youth unemployment by helping young entrepreneurs and startups attract potential investors. The Impact Hub’s Launch Pad program giv

FAQs

What is the main goal of USAID Youth Workforce Development?

To help youth gain skills for productive lives, employment, and positive contributions to society through education and training aligned with labor market needs.

What challenges does the document connect to youth employment?

High youth unemployment, skills gaps for today’s labor market, and barriers such as discrimination, crisis and conflict, and violence that limit access to education and employment.

What examples of USAID-supported approaches are mentioned?

Career development centers in Egypt, integrated mentoring and employability/entrepreneurship training in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and startup and investor linkage support via Impact Hub Belgrade in Serbia.

Oct 15, 2026

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