UNICEF’s “Passport to Earning” program to kick-start the careers of 20,000 young people in India
New Delhi, July 13 (FN Agency) Ahead of World Youth Skills Day on July 15, Randstad, the world’s largest talent company, has announced that it is supporting UNICEF’s Passport to Earning (P2E) program in India with the goal of training 20,000 young people with the skills they need to enter the labor market. This project aims to upskill this talent pool via a series of skilling modules, during which they will receive training in digital productivity tools and methods, presentation skills, best practices for writing compelling CVs, and interview preparation techniques, according to a media statement on Thursday. From this community of newly skilled talent, a cohort of 2,000 young people will receive direct job application assistance which includes an evaluation and assessment of their skills and interests.
The goal is for each member of the cohort to secure a position by end-2023. As part of the pilot, Randstad and Generation Unlimited will focus particularly on offering support to marginalized and disadvantaged young people, equipping them with the skills and career development opportunities they need to enter the workforce. UNICEF’s P2E is an existing program which aims to empower youth with relevant digital skills and abilities to thrive in the 21st century and connect them to opportunities in apprenticeship, entrepreneurship, employment and social impact. The pilot will assess how to extend the support of youth in the program from training to enabling them to secure decent and sustainable employment. This initiative is reflective of Randstad’s long-term support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4: quality education – specifically its sub-goal to substantially increase the number of youths and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
Viswanath PS, MD & Chief Executive Officer at Randstad India, said, “As the world’s largest talent company, Randstad is committed to support young people in their upskilling and finding employment so that they can make a real difference for themselves, their families and the wider community. This is crucial as UNICEF reports that India expects a skills gap of 29 million employees by 2030, with people under 24 nearly five times more likely to be unemployed than others. Through a targeted approach, our efforts with Generation Unlimited are concentrated on supporting as many young people as possible from marginalized groups, including women and persons with disabilities. We’re proud to be supporting UNICEF with this important project and look forward to assessing its outcomes at the end of the year.’’ Dhuwarakha Sriram, Chief of YuWaah (Generation Unlimited India), Youth Development and Partnerships at UNICEF, said, “The school-to-work transition needs to be a transformative journey that empowers and enables young people to transition from learning to fulfilling employment opportunities.
To achieve this, YuWaah (Generation Unlimited in India) at UNICEF is harnessing the power of technology and forging public-private-youth partnerships to bridge the gaps that exist in the skilling and employment ecosystem. In India, young people aspire to gain access to 21st century skills, career guidance, volunteering, entrepreneurship and job opportunities. We are thrilled to collaborate with Randstad to facilitate these elements as integral components of young people’s learning paths, while also enabling them to make informed decisions about their life and livelihoods.” At the end of this pilot, Randstad will evaluate the results in consultation with Generation Unlimited and UNICEF and determine if and how the model can be scaled to create a bridge between the business world and young people.