YouthCan!

Bridging the gap between education and employment

YouthCan! is a global partnership for youth employability. We aim to support young people who have lost or are at risk losing parental care in their transition to employment and independent living. SOS Children's Villages and partners from the private sector mobilize employees to share their skills, time, expertise, and career stories to help our youth find work.

Facts and Figures 2020

What does YouthCan! offer?

Support to young people towards decent and stable employment

YouthCan! is an opportunity for young people in our target group to become ready for the job market and lead independent lives. Together with our partners, we will expand the scope of existing activities and create new initiatives, with the aim to reach 10,000 young people by 2020.

A network of global partners

The YouthCan! network of SOS Children's Villages, corporates and supporting partners builds on the expertise of all partners in the area of youth employability. Partners from the private sector mobilize their employees to share their time, skills, expertise and own career stories. These corporate volunteers plan workshops, facilitate exposure to professional environments and act as professional mentors to the young people.

An individual and multi-dimensional approach

Our individual and multi-dimensional approach to strengthening youth employability is integrated in SOS Children's Villages' alternative care and family strengthening programmes. We provide individual support and follow-up to young programme participants according to their unique needs. Employees and young people are able to connect face-to-face or online through the digital platform, YouthLinks , enabling worldwide collaborative learning.

Three YouthCan Pillars

YouthLinks

YouthLinks is a global initiative that uses technology to help improve employability skills among the youth. We connect young people with mentors and SOS staff through a digital platform based on Facebook Workplace where they can develop their soft skills, employability skills, and technical skills. They can also share content that can prepare them for the job market.

Corporate volunteers and employees act as professional mentors to prepare young people for professional work environments through workshops and firsthand exposure. Through online platforms, the youth can learn from employees and experts all around the world.