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When it comes to the conditions in factories in the developing world that are supplying multinational retailers, much media and activist attention has focused on the prevention of child labour.

However, an equally import issue is how to ensure that young people legitimately working in the supply chain are being given not only decent working conditions but access to education, healthcare and opportunities for personal development.

Too often, young people working in factories in poor countries are seen as faceless labourers desperate simply to earn enough money on which to exist. The reality, however, is that they are human beings with many of the same concerns, desires and aspirations as other young people.

"To effect real improvements, young workers must be given a chance to voice their concerns," says Juan Somavia, director-general of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). "To do this, freedom of association and right to collective bargaining is essential. Workers' and employers' organisations are well-placed to be strong advocates for the concerns of young people."

In addition to reducing worker exploitation, Elliot Schrage, professor at Columbia Business School and formerly senior vice-president of global affairs at Gap, the clothes retailer, believes a responsible supply chain strategy should address how to integrate young people into the global economy.

"Companies need to be helping workers to develop the skills they need to make meaningful choices in their lives," he says. "Because they are always making choices at some level, today those choices may involve what kind of jobs to take . . . tomorrow they may be what product to buy."

Research carried out by the Global Alliance for Workers and Communities has identified three of the main needs of young workers in this respect. The Global Alliance, whose partners include Nike, Gap, the World Bank and the International Youth Foundation, aims to improve the working lives of people in developing countries and to monitor the factories of global companies' subcontractors.

Through surveys and focus groups, it identifies the concerns and aspirations of factory workers and delivers education and training in response.

The first priority for young workers, according to Global Alliance, is access to adequate healthcare - not only to healthcare services but also to education on health issues such as Aids.

The second area in which young workers are often ill-equipped is in managing their money. "For some, it may be the first time they are working in the formal economy, and there's enormous pressure to send money home to the family," says Maria Eitel, Nike's vice-president and senior corporate responsibility adviser. "They need to learn to understand the dynamics of personal finance so they can contribute to their family as well as buy things for themselves."

Third, productive relationships with supervisors need to be fostered to enable young workers to voice their concerns and understand what their rights are. As well as training young people in these areas, Global Alliance helps factory managers and supervisors to use effective techniques for motivating employees.

"We do a simple 24-hour programme with supervisors to inform them of workers' rights, and there's a module around sexual harassment," says Carol Michaels O'Laughlin, executive director of Global Alliance. "But most of it is how to communicate effectively and listen and how to motivate workers."

While she sees a role for codes of practice, Ms Eitel believes this focus management training and engagement is crucial to ensuring the sustainability of good working practices. "What we have found is that you can police a workplace till you are blue in the face and the minute you leave, the problems recur," she says. "What is most effective is to get leadership to understand what it means to have a better workplace."

For factory managers, the incentive is partly to avoid the reputational damage caused by anti-sweatshop campaigns. But in addition, anecdotal evidence suggests that factories with decent conditions experience higher productivity as well as reduced absenteeism and lower staff turnover, meaning less time and money needs to be spent on training.

However, Nigel Twose, manager of the foreign investment advisory service at the World Bank, believes the corporate sector alone should not be responsible for developing the prospects for young workers.

"The challenge is for [organisations such as Global Alliance] to create the same kinds of relationships with the public sector in those countries," he says. "You have these really impressive schemes, where companies are looking at workforce needs, but that have failed yet to find a way to bring the governments in."

Part of the need for government involvement is to avoid duplication of efforts in areas such as healthcare and training and education and to establish appropriate areas of responsibility for private and public sector organisations.

In addition, Mr Twose sees a powerful role for governments in promoting market-based mechanisms for change. He cites the example of Cambodia, where the government has secured manufacturers' co-operation by requiring them to be inspected by ILO monitoring teams before receiving export licences.

The idea is that the country's manufacturers will win orders from multinational companies by providing evidence that they are running factories with decent working conditions.

"If you can use those kind of market-based mechanisms, you can move standards upwards. But you need a government that takes it seriously," says Mr Twose.