“Only through decent employment opportunities can young people 

get the chance to work themselves out of poverty. 

Focusing on youth is a must for any country."

— Juan Somavia

Director-General, International Labour Organization

IYF’s Work programs improve young people’s employability prospects by preparing them for quality jobs and helping others succeed as entrepreneurs. A staggering 400 million young people around the world are unable to find decent work. At the same time, employers cite lack of skills as a major impediment to hiring youth for those jobs that do exist. Working to fill this gap, IYF equips youth with life skills and technical know how, while connecting them to the mentors, internships, and job placement services they need to succeed in the job market. We also help youth employ themselves and create new jobs by training them to be entrepreneurs and linking them to the capital needed to start new businesses. Using our proven program model as a guide, we collaborate with global institutions across sectors to focus greater attention and resources on combating youth unemployment worldwide. One IYF Work program that is leading the way is entra21 which, to date, has provided more than 38,000 Latin American youth with knowledge and skills they need to effectively compete in the 21st century labor market.