Taking Youth to Market: Expanding Formal Labor Market Access through Public-Private Collaboration

This white paper presents the initial findings and conclusions of Americas Society’s Ford Foundation-funded research on easing access to labor markets of disadvantaged youth, carried out under the Americas Society’s Social Inclusion program. The goal of this paper is to draw attention to a sample of innovative programs that promote formal employment in Colombia and Peru.

The paper examines examples in Colombia and Peru. Despite years of high GDP growth in both countries, by the end of 2009, young adults in the region were nearly three times less likely to find a job than their adult counterparts.

Through in-country research and a roundtable meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, Americas Society, leveraging its relationship with sister organization Council of the Americas, looked at private initiatives that are working to curb youth unemployment through skills training, entrepreneurship, and strategic investments in young workers.

• Download a copy of Taking Youth to Market: Expanding Formal Labor Market Access through Public-Private Collaboration.
• Learn more about Americas Society's Social Inclusion program.

Recommendations include:

• The creation of platforms for discussions between public- and private-sector leaders in which companies can better communicate the specific skills prospective entry-level  employees require.
• Governments should pay particular attention to high-risk young adults from ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups and include representatives of these groups in labor market discussions.
• Private companies should commit to developing business skills of young workers to add social value and improve the bottom line.

About the AS Social Inclusion Program

With a grant from the Ford Foundation, the Americas Society is working to strengthen the voice of marginalized groups by presenting new research and promoting fresh debate on how the public and private sectors can address systemic challenges to social inclusion. In addition to health care, our efforts have focused on education and market access as key determinants of economic and social mobility. Learn more about Americas Society's Social Inclusion program.