YES4U project (phase 2) to improve access to decent work for migrant youth in Chengdu, China SUMMARY 
The project will improve access to stable and decent work for 650 vulnerable young migrant women and men aged 16-29 in and around Chengdu City, Sichuan Provence China. Youth migrated from rural areas to Chengdu, is vulnerable. They are treated as illegal citizens, lacking the right for social services and education in Chengdu. To sustain themselves, they often have unsafe jobs. The project aims to enhance their economic and social security. Using the ‘Livelihood Advancement Business School’ (LABS) model, the first phase of the project started in December 2015 conducting a local market scan as basic input for market-driven vocational trainings and finally job placement. The current project started in March 2017 with an updated market scan, and will last 2,5 years. The implementing partner SHPASC and Plan International China provide the youngsters with Life Skills, vocational training and job coaching. An employer network and alumni network are built to support graduated youth. Rapid urbanization in China has resulted in 268.94 million rural migrant workers in 2013, of which 65.5% of them are new generation (born after 1980). Due to the significant urban and rural disparities and the concentration of economic development in the urban areas, migrating for work to cities has become the top choice of most youth, who leave or drop out from high schools, as employment opportunities in the rural areas are scarce and income from agricultural work is not appealing. 56.6% of the labor needed in urban cities requires technical and vocational training, but only 20% of the migrant youth has such experience. As a result, they are not able to acquire decent jobs, and are subject to limited employment opportunities that are seldom decently paid or the so called ‘three-D’ jobs (dirty, degrading and dangerous), such as construction laborers or miners where working conditions and labor protection are poor. The insecure employment situation faced by vulnerable youth leads to high job turnover, poor legal protection, lack of access to social security etc. and thus restricting them to limited life opportunities.
According to the statistics released by the government, by the end of 2012, there are 1,940,000 migrant people (of which female population accounts for 46%) in Chengdu City, reaching to 18.65% of its total population. Migration and rapid urbanization present additional challenges related to urban poverty and vulnerability among unskilled young migrant people, particularly young migrant women. To address youth unemployment, Plan has developed a global youth economic empowerment program (YEE). A specific pathway is used, coming from previous employment projects in Asia: the Livelihood Advancement Business School (LABS) model. This model has eight steps: 1. Conducting a Market Scan to make sure that training will comply with local labor supply and demand, 2. Curriculum Development for market relevant training, 3. Mobilization and Application of the target group of vulnerable youngsters, 4. Induction and Life Skills training of participating youngsters aiming to get them familiar with the project and to build their self-confidence, 5. Technical Training of youngsters aiming to build their qualifications for a specific job, 6. Work Readiness Training to prepare the youth for the world of work, 7. Job Placement to guide the youngsters to decent jobs, and 8. Counselling and Post Placement Support to coach the graduated youth in their first 6 months in a job. A huge mismatch exists between the demand of the labor market and the skills training offered to migrant workers in China. Public and private vocational education and training institutions offer both long-term vocational education diploma courses and short-term skills training programs. As government provides large subsidies for vocational education and skills training of rural youth, it drives both public and private institutions to organize training based on what they can supply rather than to organize training based on labor market demand. Also sufficient practical skills training is limited; theoretical training is dominant. The mismatch between the vocational skills needed in the labor market and acquired through vocational training often results in unsatisfactory employment rate and employment conditions. Also surveys consistently show that employers are not satisfied with the skills of their new junior staff, whether academic or vocational; according to McKinsey research the main complaints are lack of relevant technical training and deficient soft skills. Life skills training and work readiness training are very weak in the Chinese vocational education system. Only few vocational training institutions are able to deliver systematic life skills training with the support of international organizations and NGOs. The training about work readiness is almost vacant. Therefore, students have limited knowledge about what they can expect in the workplace before employment. In most cases, migrant youth are not able to integrate into city life safely and smoothly. They will become marginalized in cities as well as in the countryside. The project will directly benefit 650 vulnerable young people migrated to Chengdy City (aged 16-29, of which at least 60% will be female youth) and their families (total 2,600 people); 8 staff of implementing partners; 3 vocational training institutions whose capacity will be built to replicate the LABS model; an employer network of at least 23 as youth friendly qualified employers; an alumni network with at least 390 members (60 % of graduates join the alumni network, and 60% of them are girls); local government authorities, Women’s Federations and Youth Leagues. Activities on employment opportunities:
1.	Deliver a series of training for SHPASC on different topics such as operations of LABS model including market scan, institutional management, strategic planning and leadership, and working with/engaging vulnerable young women and men.
2.	Conduct an update of the Market Scan on employment opportunities and associated skills in demand.
3.	Adapt or renew short term vocational training curriculum and/or improve existing curriculum.
4.	Mobilize and recruit vulnerable youth for the vocational training.
5.	Deliver market-driven vocational training to the enrolled youth.
6.	Sharpen Minimum Standards for Youth Friendly Employer.
7.	Professionalize and gradually expand a youth and gender-friendly employer network of at least 23 qualified employers.
8.	Support youth graduates to secure decent jobs, with a salary higher than the minimum salary level defined by local government, from preselected employers.

Activities on transition from school to work:
1.	Adapt life skills and work readiness curriculum.
2.	Deliver training to teachers of vocational training institutions on life skill & work readiness curriculum.
3.	Conduct life skills and work readiness training for enrolled young people.
4.	Provide counselling and conduct post-placement services.
5.	Establish Alumni network (with at least 60% of graduates being member) and build its capacity continuously.
6.	Improve information sharing mechanism among vocational training institutions, trained youth, alumni and employers network to facilitate internships, job placements and post-placement services.

Activities on knowledge management:
1.	Post-placement information on graduated migrant youth is continuously tracked and analyzed by utilizing Direct Beneficiaries Monitoring System (DBMS) to track progress and results.
2.	Localize and develop a LABS Model Guideline. By replicating the LABS model through government agencies, social organizations, vocational training institutions and academic institutions, the market relevance of vocational training is addressed, also for youth outside the direct target group. 

For the graduated migrant youth, the alumni groups will create continuous peer support and will therefore contribute to the sustainability of the project. Trained in market relevant skills and supported to get a first decent job, the trained migrant youth will earn a decent living and become financially more independent.  With a focus on targeting migrant young women (at least 60% of the youngsters) social inclusion and gender equality are addressed.