Youth Employment and Gender: Evaluating the Skills to Succeed Program in Bangladesh

Youth unemployment is a major concern in developing countries around the world. In Bangladesh, where a fifth of the population is 15-24 years of age, underemployment is common and female economic participation is hindered by social and cultural barriers. Save the Children's "Skills to Succeed" program equips deprived/at-risk youth with a combination of market-relevant skills, networks and opportunities to get formal sector jobs or start businesses. This study examines the impact of the program on young people's labor market outcomes, as well as their sense of agency, motivation and soft skills. In addition to these direct effects, the study examines the displacement effects that an education intervention of this kind could produce in the labor market, and the spillover effects on the participating youth's households. Further, the study distinguishes between male and female outcomes, and explores whether an added gender component can enable education programs to promote equality in the workforce.