Employment Solutions for vulnerable migrant Youth in Shaanxi Province SUMMARY - Youth unemployment is a serious issue in China. Every year more young people enter the labour market without the right preparation, some without completing high school or even the nine-year compulsory education. Youth are migrating from rural to urban areas seeking for employment. Many end up as migrant workers in labour-intensive industries, often subject to poor working conditions, job insecurity and low pay, facing socio-economic difficulties, insecurity and discrimination.  The overall objective is that vulnerable youth in rural Shaanxi Province, especially young women aged 16-29, are able to engage in decent work of their choosing either through wage employment or self-employment. They will have gained market-driven, quality and relevant skills and capabilities and pursue opportunities for decent work of their choosing in an era of digital and green economy transition. Youth unemployment is a serious issue in China. Every year more young people enter the labour market without the right preparation, some without completing high school or even the nine-year compulsory education. Youth are migrating from rural to urban areas seeking for employment. Many end up as migrant workers in labour-intensive industries, often subject to poor working conditions, job insecurity and low pay, facing socio-economic difficulties, insecurity and discrimination. 

Resource-intensive traditional job opportunities are replaced with new jobs in the green and digital economy, which demands a new set of skills. Youth need next-generation soft skills and vocational skills to succeed in the labour market. Traditional education in China does not offer soft skills such as goal setting, problem solving, digital literacy, green citizenship and gender awareness, so limiting potential for career development, especially among young women. COVID-19 exacerbated the development gap between rural and urban areas. To build back better, there is a need to strengthen the resilience and vocational skills of marginalized migrant youth so they can find sustainable work opportunities in an era of digital and green economy transition. The overall objective is to reach full social and economic potential of vulnerable youth in Shaanxi Province, particularly for women, through supporting them to engage in decent work. The overall objective directly contributes to the Sustainable Development Goal on poverty, quality education, gender equality, and decent work and economic growth. 

Specifically, by the end of June 2024, 750 vulnerable youth from Plan International China’s rural program areas in Shaanxi, especially young women aged 16-29, have gained market-driven, quality and relevant skills and capabilities, and pursue opportunities for decent work of their choosing in an era of digital and green economy transition.
Vulnerable youth, especially young women, will build on and develop their vocational skills for wage or self-employment opportunities, as well as their resilience skills to adapt to the changing world of work and contribute to their societies. They will be supported to transit to work smoothly through strengthened services within 6 months after their graduation.  The project aims to create a sustainable ecosystem for youth employment in a more gender-responsive and youth-friendly environment among youth, vocational training institutes and employers. The project adopt the Livelihood Advancement Business School (LABS) Model, covering the cycle of a job value chain including 8 steps: market scan, curriculum development/improvement, mobilization and recruitment, life skills, technical training, work readiness training, job placement, counselling and post placement survey.  The LABS model has been contextualized together with vocational training institutions, private sector partners and local relevant governmental partners. Next to market relevant vocational skills, the vulnerable youth will be equipped with next generation skills, enabling them to adopt a positive attitude and address the issues and problems faced in their daily lives, becoming more resilient in the future world of work, in addition to meeting  job requirement. 
There is a strong focus on challenges faced by young women and addressing their skills gaps in employment. Content and methodologies of relevant trainings will be gender-responsive, and gender awareness raising among all stakeholders is key. Next to that, gender-responsive standards/policies will be developed together with private sector partners aiming to promote an enabling environment for young women to access decent work opportunities. The beneficiaries of the project are vulnerable youth aged 16-29, who are from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds in rural Shaanxi Province and who have migrated to cities seeking for employment.  80% of them will be female youth, who are more vulnerable to exploitation and gender-based violence in the cities. Result 1: 750 vulnerable youth, especially young women, build on and develop their vocational skills for wage or self-employment opportunities.
* Conducting a market scan and gender analysis to identify local employment opportunities, employer's needs and the needs of young women and men.  
* Based on the results of market scan and wider stakeholder consultations market-relevant vocational skills training courses will be identified, and curriculums will be developed or improved.
* Mobilizing vulnerable youth in targeted communities will be conducted online and offline together with relevant stakeholders such as government departments, youth organizations, vocational training and education institutes and social organizations. 
* Then vocational skills training will be given to all selected youth. 
* Based on personal career interests and planning, youth will also be supported in entrepreneurial skills training. 

Result 2: 750 vulnerable youth, especially young women, have built their resilience skills to adapt to the changing world of work and contribute to their societies.
* Enriching the next-generation skills curriculum package, that contains life skills training and work readiness training, to include also green citizenship and digital skills.
* Providing next-generation skills curriculum training to trainers for formal or informal vocational training and education institutes.
* All selected youth will receive next-generation skills training.

Result 3: 638 (85% of 750) vulnerable youth, especially young women, are able to transit to work smoothly through strengthened services within 6 months after their graduation.
* Providing job placement service to all graduates after completing training.
* Providing post placement services and career mentoring to all graduates within six months after training completion.

Result 4: Sustainable ecosystem is created for youth employment in a more gender-responsive and youth-friendly environment among youth, vocational training institutes and employers.
* Developing project advocacy and communications products conveying key messages on gender equality and the importance of supporting vulnerable young women’s skills building and career development to be shared among different stakeholders.
* Awareness raising among communities and the general public  to support vulnerable young women to engage in skills building and career development
* Setting up youth and gender friendly employer’s network to provide apprenticeship and employment opportunities for vulnerable youth.
* Setting up alumni network to promote peer to peer support and deliver more follow-up services and guidance through online and offline alumni activities.
* Inviting successful female role models with decent work to share experiences and provide mentoring services (either face-to-face or online) through employee engagement activities during the training of selected vulnerable youth.
* Capacity building for formal/informal vocational training institutions to provide better support to vulnerable youth in need.
* Supporting model employers with technical advice on how to establish green, gender-responsive and youth-friendly workplaces.
* Conducting case studies to collect evidence to demonstrate good practices, achievements and impact of the project LABS Model for the benefit of vulnerable young women and men.
* Organizing advocacy event with stakeholders to promote project interventions and experiences for further replication of the enriched LABS model. Plan International will improve the LABS approach to ensure market relevant skills training for marginalized youth and to enable a better transition from school to workplace under decent conditions.  We aim at integrating next-generation skills package and establishing gender responsive learning environment in selected training institutes as well as in other public training institutes and colleges.

Partnership with Women’s Federation at County, City and Provincial level is key for sustainability and scalability. Through capacity building, they will gain skills and capacity to implement and replicate the LABS approach in their areas and beyond.  

An alumni network and a youth & gender friendly employer network will be established to facilitate continuous support to selected youth and vocational training institutions through each phase of the LABS approach. The networks will become part of a functional and sustainable ecosystem.

The contextualized LABS guidelines will be provided to all training partners, employers, social organizations and government agencies to support further safeguarding and improvement of marginalized young women and men’s right to quality and relevant vocational education and decent work opportunities.