The document discusses a youth employment project in Pakistan. It notes that a large portion of Pakistan's population is youth and they face difficulties finding employment. It proposes establishing youth skill development centers that will provide short courses, such as sewing, IT, and beautician work, to 900 disadvantaged youth. The project will be implemented over 2 years across 10 districts. Activities will include establishing community committees, conducting skills courses, and providing career counseling, certificates, and seed grants to help graduates start home businesses.

1. Youth Icon
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROJECT
MAKE IT WORK

2. Situation Analysis
 The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is located in South Asia. The population of Pakistan has increased rapidly from 134.51
million in 1999 to 137.51 million (estimated) in 2000 and 140.47 million (estimated) in 2001, making it the seventh
most populous country in the world. The percent annual growth rate during the inter-censal period has been 2.69 %.
Age Structure:
(2000 est.)
Age % Age Male Female
0-14 years 41% 29,880574 28,145,247
15 – 64 years 55% 39,751,222 37,981,378
 The realization
65 years that adolescence
4% is a separate stage in life
2,856,305 has acquired attention
2,939,049 only in very recent times.
Adolescence is defined as the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, occurring during the second decade of
life, and is a complex phase because un employment is on peak. Expectations, activities and responsibilities change as
they move from childhood to adulthood with significant consequences for individuals, families, communities and the
country.
MUZAFFARABAD
 The population of Muzaffarabad District is 745,000 in 1998 as compared to 466,000 in 1981 recording an increase of 60% over the
last 17 years i.e. 1981-98. The average annual growth rate of population in the district during intercensal period 1981-98 is 2.80 %.
The average household size for the district is 7.1 persons in 1998. The household size is same i.e. 7.1 persons both in rural and
urban areas.
 The rural population of the district is 644,000 constituting 86.35 % of the total population. The average annual growth rate of
rural population during 1981-98 is 2.55%. The urban population of the district is 101,000 constituting 13.65% of the total
population. The average annual growth rate of urban population during 1981-98 is 4.68%.
 The sex ratio of the district computed in 1998 is 106. The sex ratio in rural and urban areas of the district are 104 and 121
respectively which indicate that the male proportion is greater in the urban areas as compared to the rural areas.
 According to this report its show that lager part of the population is Youth and they are facing much difficulties by getting the job.

3. Problems
 Employment is the main source of income for most families in the world. While certainly not a new dimension of well-being, it is sometimes
forgotten in human development studies and poverty reduction policies or, at least, not considered in the depth it deserves. Having a good and
decent job is generally associated with being out of poverty, whichever way poverty is defined. Additionally, employment can give a sense of
self-respect and fulfillment (Sen 1975). There is hence no question as to the importance of employment as a constituent part of individuals‘
well-being. Any economic development and poverty reduction agenda will necessarily include an analysis of the labour market situation and
how it can be improved. There is less agreement, though, on how much and which type of employment is necessary.
 The present paper proposes seven indicators of employment to help specialists and policy makers answer these questions, at a global level. The
aim is to complement ‗traditional‘ indicators to provide a deeper understanding of both the quantity and quality of employment. The point of
departure is the list of basic indicators proposed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) included in the LABORSTA database of labour
statistics, and the guiding principle follows closely the ILO‘s Decent and Productive Work for all Agenda, where:
Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income,
security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to
express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and
men.
(ILO, http://www.ilo.org/public/english/decent.htm)
Youth Icon team organized FDGs with Youth and here are some problems which we have seen
 The lack of employment occur due to lack of life skill based education and low cost based skill development courses because of poverty so they
cant afford the fee of such courses and they have no resources which they utilize for the career and establish their own business. They are
struggling to define their own identity, their directions for life, career opportunities, to have better self-esteem and to become responsible for
their lives.
 In a context of sluggish employment growth, youth typically face more difficulties that adults obtaining jobs for many reasons:
(a) they are likely to lack firm-specific skills and work habits that come only with experience, and as a result their productivity may initially be
lower relative to their cost than that of adults;
(b) they may have poor access to information and credit, which may lead to too early exit from school putting them at an additional disadvantage;
(c) they are often more affected by policy distortions(such as too stringent employment protection or too high a minimum wage) than adults; and
(d) they typically will have much less voice and representation in the social and economic
(d) The main reason s for not getting job is Lack of industries, over population, and lack of market scope

4. Problem
 The difficulties that youth face in entering the labor market are particularly accentuated when large cohorts of new entrants hit the
labor market at the same time, as has been the case in Pakistan. In some settings, skill development-strategies and direct project
interventions can help to stimulate greater employment opportunities for young people, especially disadvantaged youth, through
measures to help them acquire better quality and relevant skills and by fostering production center support of self-employment.
Purpose
 The proposed program is intended ―to develop a model for youth employment/employability activities that link best practices in
youth development to demand-side activities in pro-poor private sector competitiveness and value chain development.‖ The Youth
Employment Project will focus on and assess the challenges and opportunities for improved vocational skills for youth in at least in
two year project.
Beneficiaries
The direct beneficiaries of the Project:
1. Youth: 900 ( 450 male and 450 female) disadvantaged young people, from 17 to 30 years old, who come from low-income
families and are not connected to any other professional education program, with difficulty of access to qualification and work
opportunities.
2. The direct beneficiaries belong to families living below the poverty line (family living with less than 2 minimum wages per
family, almost half of population—48%) and unqualified for the opportunities and demands of the local labor market.
Duration and Geographical of the Project
The duration of the project will be 2 Years and Project will be implement in 10 District of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
1. Muzaffarabad 2. Kotli 3. Mirpure 4. Rawalakoat 5. Neelum 6. Hattian 7. Bagh 8. haveli 9.Bhimber 10.Poonch

5. Solution/Activities
Through Focal Group Discussion with Youth , they show great interest that if skill development course (like sewing cutting,
IT, beautician course, Purse and pouch making, soft toys making )will offer so youth can easily get job opportunities on skill
basis.
So Now Youth Icon team developed a plan for implementation according to the need of the targeted beneficiaries.
Phase 1
- Establishment of 10 District level Youth – Community lead committee
- Orientation of Youth Employment programme to Committee members
- Skill course manual establishment and hiring of skill staff
- Site selection for Youth Skill development centers
- Establishment of 20 Youth Skill centers
Phase 2
- IEC material distribution for registration of participants for skill
- Data collection and Compilation
- Selection of 20 beneficiaries for 3 months course ( 7 type of course for 7 quarters, 1 course offer at a time for 3 months)
Selection of beneficiaries
- The young people interested in the program must fill out a registration form to verify their profile and economic status.
- The selection will be based on workshops, dynamics, interviews, and tests ascertaining their minimal competencies and
skills.
- The beneficiaries must demonstrate interest and motivation for new technologies and the desire to enter the job
market.
- Both beneficiaries and their parents must sign an agreement letter whereby they declare that they accept the conditions
and rules of the Project regarding attendance, participation, behavior, apprenticeship, and others.
- (continue next page)

6. - Course schedule Detail
1. Sewing cutting and stitching - 1st quarter
2. Computer course – 2nd quarter
3. Soft toys making – 3rd quarter
4. Embroidery work – 4th quarter
5. Handicraft work- 5th quarter
6. Beautician course – 6th quarter
7. Purse and pouch making – 7th quarter
- Certificate distribution ceremony after every quarter.
- Career counseling, life skill based education and communication training will also organized as the
part of skill development programme.
Phase 3
- Linkages development with market
- Establishment of production center
- Seed grants for beneficiaries to establish a home based business
- National level Exhibition