Match

Finding a job is about matching. People search for employment that offers a stable income and suits their interests, skills and abilities, and employers seek workers that are the right “fit” with the team and for the role. Globally, but particularly in developing countries where the majority of the world’s youth live, the career aspirations of young people may not match reality. Many young people accept low wages in the informal sector, due to the pressure to earn an immediate income. Due to information asymmetry, youth are often unable to navigate the labour market. The untapped potential of skilled young people working in jobs that have little or no connection with their skills, backgrounds or interests, is significant. 

This outcome is about matching young people with decent jobs that leverage their skills on work they are excited to do. This means offering employment services, making sure that training programs offer the right skills for actual jobs, helping young people to shape realistic career aspirations, helping companies to develop young talent through gender-sensitive mentorship or training programs, or ensuring that young graduates are paired with skilled work placements. 

Project Examples

• Light for the World helps match young people with disabilities into jobs, by cultivating relationships with employers, raising awareness to make workplaces more disability-friendly, and providing employability training for young people with disabilities, before placing them into paid internships with employer partners.
• A tech school is scaling up its IT/app developer training and adding more courses for youth, along with a job matching service, through which youth who complete the training are hired by affiliated tech companies.
• An existing online job-matching platform is enhancing its career advisory and digital CV service, and increasing its focus on attracting youth as users. Young people use the platform for career advice and to complete training on interviewing, then apply to (and are hired into) jobs through the platform.
• A growing textiles company is setting up its own training institute to meet the growing demand of its operations, training groups of young people in specific skills required and offering jobs to successful trainees.