Globally, demand for employment is growing faster than the market can respond or absorb new entrants. Millions of unskilled youth are employed in low productivity occupations and experience exploitation or working poverty. Opportunities to develop or upgrade employability skills are small-scale and inaccessible, especially for vulnerable youth.

To reform education and employment systems to serve all youth and promote decent work, EDC engages youth in the design, implementation and decision-making of programs. In support of local ownership and sustainability of market-driven skills development, innovations and transition to work services, EDC facilitates collaboration and strengthens capacity of system actors such as government institutions, community-based and youth-led organizations, and local employers. EDC also reinforces policy dialogue and provides costing analysis to institutionalize work readiness and work-based learning programs within education and vocational training systems.

Across the U.S., EDC partners with industry, preK–16+ education, and communities to ensure all young people thrive. Two fundamental principles drive our work—that equity and excellence are inseparable and diversity drives innovation. For over 60 years, we have advanced equity, access, and inclusion in workforce preparation, creating and scaling career pathways for youth who have limitless potential, but limited opportunities. In addition to designing, leading, and scaling programs, we study and evaluate promising approaches to career learning. Our staff brings expertise in workforce development ecosystems, career academies, place-based career development models, and effective strategies to foster future-ready youth.

Resources

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EDC’s experience and impact delivering positive youth development and lifelong learning opportunities worldwide.
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Overview of EDC's higher education institution experience providing market-relevant job skills for youth, resulting in successful entry points into the world of work.
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As part of EDC’s Work Ready Now (WRN) program, WRN Biz builds youths’ core skills in business planning, business start-up, and ongoing business management.
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This cost analysis study of the Akazi Kanoze 2 work readiness program in Rwanda was carried out from October 2015 to October 2017. The results of this study aim to inform the relevant government ministries and its development partners about the required budgets to roll out the national work-readiness curriculum nationwide successfully, while maintaining adequate standards of quality and...
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APTE-Senegal focuses on building work readiness skills and transition to work opportunities to prepare youth for employment and self-employment in a way that is sustainable at national scale. As part of overall project design, EDC’s Work Ready Now (WRN) approach was adapted to the country context and built to be fully scalable so that ultimately the government would take on ownership and...