This is an inter-agency database on developing value chains, linkages and service markets - adopted by the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development. The site is dedicated to the results being achieved through systemic approaches, particularly in Private Sector Development. http://www.bdsknowledge.org

The online component to Citi’s 10 year, $200 million global commitment to financial education. The site offers educational resources covering topics such as microfinance, entrepreneurship, foreclosure prevention, financial literacy and using credit wisely. http://financialeducation.citi.com

dgCommunities is both a place to find knowledge resources focused on development issues and an interactive space where you can share your own work, participate in discussions, find people with similar interests and more. http://youth.developmentgateway.org/

ELDIS and British Library for Development Studies (BLDS) have developed searchable databases by country for the latest reports on children and youth, many of which address youth employment, enterprise, and livelihood development. http://www.eldis.org/go/topics/resource-guides/children-and-young-people/children-and-young-people-country-profiles

This free, online international community is designed for building entrepreneurial economies, where entrepreneurs, policymakers, business mentors, investors, and researchers come together to promote high-growth initiatives. Visitors will find a comprehensive library of articles and videos with relevant insights and information for entrepreneurs here. www.entrepreneurship.org

Access resources, content, and social networking for the global entrepreneurship community. www.EntreOasis.com

Educational Games and Simulations for Business, Entrepreneurship, Personal Finance, and more – many free resources also available. GoVenture.NETwork content and activities are designed to help teachers, facilitators, and learners in subjects such as Business and Entrepreneurship, Investment and Finance, and Career and Life Skills. Their online, paper-based, and interactive exercises are both fun and educational. www.GoVenture.net

This database contains comprehensive legal information from countries around the world. It covers legislation on maternity protection, minimum wages and working time. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/condtrav/database/index.htm

International Labour Standards cover the key issues of educational capacity, enhancing employability, entrepreneurship and the creation of productive jobs for young people. They also lay down important provisions on how young people enter the work force and on their conditions of employment such as minimum age of admission to employment, pay, working time, night work and medical examinations, occupational safety and health, and labour inspection. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/yett/ils.htm; http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/index.htm

NATLEX is the database of national labour, social security and related human rights legislation maintained by the ILO's International Labour Standards Department. http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex_browse.home?p_lang=en

This portal provides a comprehensive guide to finding information on ILO resources pertaining to youth. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/support/lib/resource/subject/youth.htm

The objective of this youth, training and employment site is to report the multiple efforts implemented in the Latin American region by those training institutions, ministries and agents that have direct competence in policy design, planning, execution and/or evaluation, programs and/or projects that address youth. It looks for improving the information flow generated by youth training and employment programs in the region by means of providing a communication, exchange and learning space that increases the quality, relevance and equity of the referred programs through the study of learned lessons from implemented actions. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/ampro/cinterfor/temas/youth/index.htm

This database offers detailed information on organizations implementing youth employment projects in the 16 West African countries. This resource is aimed at all youth employment stakeholders and offers a wealth of information in a user-friendly, searchable and up-to-date format. International Labour Organization (ILO), Youth Employment Network, December 2008 http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/yen/whatwedo/projects/inventory.htm

The OVC Support Toolkit is an electronic library of resources collected by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Family Health International from a wide range of organizations, based on the understanding that there are many good approaches to supporting orphans and vulnerable children. http://www.ovcsupport.net/sw505.asp

The Journal of Economic Education offers original articles on innovations in and evaluations of teaching techniques, materials, and programs in economics. Journal entries are available from 1984-2008. http://www.indiana.edu/~econed/tocindex.htm

This web page from the EQUIP3 web site includes information on what youth livelihoods development & youth microenterprise are, as well as links to related EQUIP3 projects and documents. http://www.equip123.net/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=606&z=12

This site gives various updates on USAID projects -present and past- related to good practices and innovations in youth-inclusive development. Additionally, it provides resources, like documents, presentations, links to the field and features upcoming events, conferences, workshops, trainings and online discussions that aim to improve social and economic conditions for youth. www.microLINKS.org/youth

This Toolkit for the U.S. National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education is designed to give visitors the standards and Performance Indicators framework necessary for developing curriculum for entrepreneurship programs as a lifelong learning process. http://www.entre-ed.org/Standards_Toolkit/

U.S. educators can access this "recipe book" for creating effective entrepreneurial learning opportunities for students at all levels of the Lifelong Learning model. http://www.entre-ed.org/stdsofpractice.htm

An impact evaluation assesses the changes in the well-being of individuals that can be attributed to a particular project, program or policy. This website aims at disseminating information and providing resources for people and organizations working to assess and improve the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing poverty. http://go.worldbank.org/169GZ6W820

SBTV is the only video news and information destination site for America’s 25 million small businesses, and provides small business owners and entrepreneurs with tools, including a virtual marketplace, to manage, grow and protect their ventures. www.sbtv.com

This website offers profiles, case-studies and articles for students who are interested in entrepreneurship. www.usatoday.com/educate/college/careers/entrepreneurship/index.html
Collegiate case studies  www.usatoday.com/educate/college/case-studies.htm

The Corporation is charged with creating and enhancing entrepreneurial business opportunities for Veterans, including Service-Disabled Veterans, and its site includes many resources for U.S. veterans interested in starting a business. www.veteranscorp.org

The Office of Entrepreneurship Education provides information on the importance of entrepreneurship education, as well as resources for youth, educators, and practitioners working on youth entrepreneurship in the U.S. http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/entrepreneurship.htm

This site features toolkits that have been developed to aid organizations in establishing and implementing effective youth employment strategies. The toolkits aim to provide youth with step-by-step instruction, along with valuable resources and advice to help carry out Action Plans. http://www.yesweb.org/gkr_toolkits.htm

Youth Venture helps teams of young people start new youth-led organizations that make a social impact. The site offers youth a number of resources on how to become a changemaker and start an organization or venture. http://www.genv.net/en-us/do_it

September, 2009. Xcaret, Mexico.
The purpose of this conference is to reunite the key actors of Mexico who have the mission to develop an enterprise culture and create a declaration of Mexico that will be displayed in the June 2010 Summit in Europe. For more information, please visit http://www.fundacione.org/index05e05.html or contact Samuel Gonzalez, President of Fundacion E, at samuel@fundacione.org.

You are invited to attend the new course, Youth-Inclusive Financial Services: Implementing Good Practices in the Field, offered by Making Cents and hosted by Plan Canada in Toronto September 9 – 11, 2009.Youth-Inclusive Financial Services: Implementing Good Practices in the Field is a highly interactive course that offers a practical step-by-step framework for exploring youth-inclusive financial services. To register or learn more contact Rathi Mani, Project Coordinator, by email: Rathi@makingcents.com.

Making Cents will host a half-day session on how to adapt several of the Making Cents field-tested enterprise development training products to your program.  The objective isto provide attendees with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with Making Cents training products, and learn how these products can be adapted to different programs. Featured curricula include: Market Opportunities curriculum, Agriculture Enterprise curriculum, Business Fundamentals for Cooperatives, and MicroEnterprise Fundamentals curriculum for illiterate and semi-literate populations. To register, please contact Fernando Maldonado, Business Development Associate, by e-mail: fernando@makingcents.com.

Making Cents is organizing this demand-driven and participatory learning event for practitioners, educators, members of the private sector, funders, youth entrepreneurs, and other key stakeholders who develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate programs in the field of youth enterprise, employment, and livelihood development. For more information, please visit www.youtheconomicopportunities.org or contact Whitney Harrelson, Conference Manager, Making Cents at +1 202-783-4090 or whitney@makingcents.com.

Making Cents will host a half-day dialogue focused on the state of the youth-inclusive financial services sector and strategize a participatory growth plan for the field over the next three years during the 2009 Global Youth Enterprise Conference.  Become engaged and attend. For more information, please contact Rathi Mani, Youth-Inclusive Financial Services Linkage Project Coordinator, by email: mailto:rathi@makingcents.com.

This conference will take a cross-disciplinary look at executions, strategies and concepts - digital answers to global problems, social design solutions and successful triple-bottom line business models. For more information, please visit http://www.alldaybuffet.org/thefeast/

The University Icesi organizes this annual conference, which aims to: 1) disemínate diverse policies, strategies, and mechanisms that are being implemented in different countries around the World to strengthen the sustainability of existing and new businesses; 2) present successful programs that have been implemented in Latin America, which support new entrepreneurs; 3) offer workshops and panels that improve entrepreneurial competencies; 4) present the results of research that is taking place in Latin America on the central themes of the Congress; and 5) provide guidance on initiatives in Latin America related to entrepreneurship development and the strengthening the fabric of entrepreneurship in the region. For more information, please visit: http://www.icesi.edu.co/clee2009/index.html.

This report is a seminal set of guidelines for donors and practitioners to strengthen economic opportunities for orphans, vulnerable children and their caretakers. The guidelines draw from the experience and expertise of the FIELD-Support consortium, MD, and other USAID specialists.

Adams, A. V. (2007, June). Helping Youth Make the Transition from School to Work. Development Outreach. World Bank. From http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/article.asp?id=412

This article looks at the choices available for youth skills development and employment outcomes of different choices, and highlights programs that offer disadvantaged youth a second-chance for successfully making the transition to work.

Agence Françoise de Developpement. (2007) Youth and Labour Markets in Africa: A Critical Review of Literature. From http://www.afd.fr/jahia/Jahia/home/publications/documentsdetravail/pid/

This survey of literature stresses that a clear diagnosis of youth employment problems in African countries based on hard data and analytical research is badly needed. This paper presents some new evidence based on the 1-2-3 Surveys recently conducted in 10 African countries, which provide a consistent and comparable picture of the situation of youth employment in urban labor markets in these countries.

Alissa, S. (2007). The School to Work Transition of Young People in Syria. International Labour Organization. From http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/yett/download/swtssyria.pdf

This report shares the results of an ILO school-to-work transition survey of youth in Syria. The results of the survey confirm that Syrian young people face significant challenges in finding decent employment after leaving school.

Alzua, M. L., Nahirnak, P., & Alvarez de Toledo, B. (2007, September). Evaluation of entra 21 Using Qualitative and Quantitative Data. Q-squared Working Paper No. 41. University of Toronto Centre for International Studies. From http://www.q-squared.ca/pdf/Q2_WP41.pdf

This paper evaluates entra 21 a training program for disadvantaged youth in Latin America and the Caribbean carried out by private NGOs. By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, a much better understanding of how these program work is gained.

America’s Promise. (2007, September). Under-Equipped and Un-Prepared: America’s Emerging Workforce and the Soft Skills Gap. Issue Brief: Workforce Readiness. From --

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Amin, S. (2007, July). Empowering Adolescent Girls in Rural Bangladesh: Kishori Abhijan. Transitions to Adulthood, Brief No. 13. New York: Population Council. From http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/TABriefs/PGY_Brief13_KishoriAbhijan.pdf

In 2001, UNICEF initiated a pilot intervention to test whether livelihoods opportunities could ameliorate the situation regarding early marriage and other adverse outcomes for girls in rural Bangladesh. This brief shares the results from the 3 year program.

Amin, S. (2008, January) Enhancing the Benefits of Girls’ Livelihood Initiatives. Transitions to Adulthood. Brief No. 17. New York: Population Council. From http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/TABriefs/PGY_Brief17_Livelihoods.pdf

This brief describes a variety of programs and partnerships formed by the Population Council that work towards livelihood programs targeted to adolescent girls. It also offers suggestions to program planners based on their experiences.

Anuszkiewicz, B., Salomon, N., Schmid, W., & Torrico, R. (2008, November). Finding Resources to Support Mentoring Programs and Services for Youth. The Finance Project. From National Youth Employment Coalition Web Site: http://nyec.org/page.cfm?pageID=11&CategorySearch=137

This brief highlights three strategies that leaders and stakeholders can use to finance and sustain mentoring programs and services for youth. These strategies include building partnerships with businesses and foundations, conducting community fundraising to generate revenue and maximizing public revenue. In addition, it provides information on 25 federal funding sources that can be used to finance and sustain these programs.

Assaad, R. & Barsoum, G. (2007, December). Youth Exclusion in Egypt: In Search of "Second Chances". The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & The Dubai School of Government. From http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/540/

Despite progress on some fronts, youth continue to be a most disadvantaged group in terms of higher rates of unemployment, lower earnings, and limited job security and stability, with the majority of new entrants finding jobs within the informal economy.

Attanasio, O., Kugler, A., & Meghir, C. (2008, April). Training Disadvantaged Youth in Latin America: Evidence from a Randomized Trial. NBER Working Paper 13931. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. From http://www.nber.org/papers/w13931

This paper evaluates the impact of a randomized training program for disadvantaged youth introduced in Colombia in 2005 on the employment and earnings of trainees.

Baylies, C. (2007). The Impact of AIDS on Rural Households in Africa: A Shock like Any Other? Development and Change 33 (4): 611-632. Institute of Social Studies. From http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118538567/toc?cookieSet=1

This article looks at the decrease in household labor activities because of HIV/AIDS in Zambia.

Betcherman, G., Godrey, M., Puerto, S., Rother, F., & Stavreska, A. (2007, October). A Review of Interventions to Support Young Workers: Findings of the Youth Employment Inventory. Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0715. Washington, DC: World Bank. From http://go.worldbank.org/E5BWW1PYY0

The World Bank has compiled a world-wide inventory of the interventions that are designed to integrate young people into the labor market.

Betcherman, G., Godrey, M., Puerto, S., Rother, F., & Stavreska, A. (2007, July) Global Inventory of Interventions to Support Young Workers Synthesis Report. World Bank.

This report synthesizes the information from this inventory and a set of background reports to document the global experience with youth employment programs.

Boardman, G., Briones, R., Caroline Fawcett, Hamid, A., & Rostiawati, Y. Jobs for the 21st Century: Indonesia Assessment. Washington, DC: Education Development Center. From https://secure.edc.org/publications/prodview.asp?1822

This assessment funded by the USAID Asia and Near East Bureau and conducted by EDC, focuses on three main questions: 1) What is the demand of firms and industry for technical workers in Aceh and surrounding provinces? 2) What are the main linkages between workforce institutions and labor demand? 3) What are the key characteristics of youth workforce in Aceh that will influence job search, recruitment and participation in polytechnic education?

Boudarbat, B. & Ajbilou, A. (2007, September). Youth Exclusion in Morocco: Context, Consequences, and Policies. The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & The Dubai School of Government. http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/542/

Morocco needs to harness the human capital of young workers if it is to increase incomes per capita, bolster savings and improve social welfare.

BRAC. (2008, September).Youth Financial Services: The Case of BRAC and Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh. From: http://www.cyesnetwork.org/sites/default/files/Case Study on BRAC and Youth.pdf

This case study shares information on BRAC’s experience in the area of youth financial services.

Brand, M., Derdari, B., Nansungu, J., & Reilly, E. (2008, September 17). Challenges, Opportunities, and Learning in Youth Microfinance. USAID presentation at the 25th installment of the USAID Microenterprise Development in its Microfinance Learning and Innovations After Hours Seminar Series. Retrieved from Microlinks Web Site: http://www.microlinks.org/ev_en.php?ID=25131_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

Margie Brand, Btissam Derdari (Morocco), Jesse Nansungu (Malawi) and Elena Reilly (Bolivia) discussed how to make youth microfinance sustainable and ensure a positive impact, as well as lessons learned in their programs so far and recommendations for future program design.

Buvinic, M., Guzmán, J.C., & Lloyd, C.B. (2007, June). Gender Shapes Adolescence. Development Outreach. World Bank. From the World Bank Web Site: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/article.asp?id=410

This paper reviews the impact gender has on opportunities. Adolescent girls are at an initial disadvantage when compared to adolescent boys; this disadvantage influences the nature and level of opportunity, agency, and second chances available to adolescents, and calls for greater policy and program efforts targeted to adolescent girls, to equalize outcomes for both genders.

Chaaban, J. (2008, May). Costs of Youth Exclusion in the Middle East. The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & The Dubai School of Government. From http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/983/

A breakthrough study that estimates the economic costs to societies across the Middle East due to youth unemployment, youth joblessness, school dropouts, adolescent pregnancy, and youth migration.

CHF International. (2008, February).Youth, Conflict, and Enterprise. International Development Matters. From http://www.chfinternational.org/node/21515

International Development Matters is a CHF International series of occasional papers addressing key issues faced by those implementing development programs worldwide. The second volume in the series, Youth, Conflict and Enterprise, provides diverse perspectives on the challenges associated with providing youth with the economic opportunities to develop their potential.

Corbanese, V., & Rosas, G. (2007). Young People’s Transition to Decent Work: Evidence from Kosovo. Employment Policy Paper 2007/4. Geneva: International Labour Organization. From http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/yett/download/swtskosovo.pdf

This report shares the results of an ILO school-to-work transition survey of youth in Kosovo, which include information on the labor market status of young people, the different types of transitions leading to work and the quantity and quality of employment opportunities.

Cunningham, W., Cohan, L., Naudeau, S., & McGinnis, L. (2008). Supporting Youth at Risk: A Policy Toolkit for Middle Income Countries. World Bank: Washington, DC. From http://go.worldbank.org/U26H7QN200

This Policy Toolkit is produced in response to a growing demand from government clients and partners for advice on how to create and implement effective policies for at-risk youth. The Toolkit highlights 22 policies (six core policies, nine promising policies, and seven general policies) that have been effective in addressing the following 5 key risk areas for young people around the world.

Cunningham, W., McGinnis, L., Garcia Verdu, R., Tesliuc, C., & Verner, D. (2008) Youth at Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean: Understanding the Causes, Realizing the Potential. Washington, DC: World Bank. From: http://go.worldbank.org/MI9UISEE90

This book will be of great interest to those working in the areas of social analysis and policy, social development and protection, and poverty reduction. The authors describe 23 policies and programs that experts agree are the foundation of a successful youth development portfolio, and lay out strategies for implementing such a portfolio in a budget-constrained environment.

Dhillon, N. & Yousef, T. (2007, December). Youth Employment Inventory Database Inclusion: Meeting the 100 Million Youth Challenge. The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & Dubai School of Government. From http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/623/

Bilingual flagship report that addresses the Middle East’s next development challenge: how to create economic and social opportunities for young citizens in the Middle East that are commensurate with their education and expectations.

Duflo, E. & Kremer, M. (2003). Use of Randomization in the Evaluation of Development Effectiveness. Presented at the World Bank Operations Evaluation Department Conference on Evaluation and Development Effectiveness. Washington, D.C. From http://econ-www.mit.edu/files/765

These authors argue that current evaluation practices often encounter problems that prevent them from effectively determining program impact, and that there is considerable scope for greater use of randomized evaluation methods in addressing these problems.

El Zanaty and Associates. (2007). School to Work Transition: Evidence from Egypt. Employment Policy Paper. Geneva: International Labour Organization. From http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/yett/download/swtsegypt.pdf

This analytical report shares the results of an ILO school-to-work transition survey El-Zanaty & Associates conducted in Egypt. The results of the survey confirm that Egyptian young people face significant challenges in finding decent employment after leaving school.

Ennis, Grant - Youth Entrepreneurship Microfinance Program Manual – A concise hands-on manual for Microfinance Institutions to create Youth Entrepreneurship Programs, Services and Financial Products. Katalysis Central American Microfinance Network / Cordes Foundation. From Making Cents Website: http://youtheconomicopportunities.org/sitemanager/cuteeditor_files/
uploads/CordesKatalysisManuelSubmission.doc

Garcia, M. H.(Ed.)& Fares, J. (Ed.) World Bank. (2008, April). Youth in Africa’s Labor Market. World Bank. From http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=6136661

The authors examine the challenges facing Africa's youth in their transition from school to working life, and propose a strategy for meeting these challenges. Topics covered include the effect of education on employment and income, broadening employment opportunities, and enhancing youth capabilities.

Gardiner, D. (2008, November). Building the Case for Business Collaboration on Youth Employment: Good Practice from West Africa. International Labour Organization. From the International Labour Organization Web Site: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/yen/downloads/psi/
the_business_case_for_ye.pdf

The publication profiles 8 cross-sectoral youth employment partnerships between business and their social partners (civil society, government and multilateral institutions) with the goal of documenting and sharing good practice and lessons learned in collaboration in this issue area. The guide also outlines the rationale for business engagement in youth employment and summarizes the main areas where business contribution can have the greatest impact on the employment situation for youth.

Ghose, A.K., Majid, N., & Ernst, C. (2008). The Global Employment Challenge. Geneva: International Labour Organization. From http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/download/gechallenge.jpg

This volume offers an in-depth analysis of the state of employment in the world today.

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. (2007). 2006-2007 Executive Report. Babson College. From http://www3.babson.edu/ESHIP/research-publications/gem.cfm

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor is the largest and longest-standing globally focused entrepreneurship research. Researchers from Babson College, the London Business School, and a university team for each participating country, explore the role of entrepreneurship in national economic growth.

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. (2007). Report on Women and Entrepreneurship. From http://www3.babson.edu/ESHIP/research-publications/gem.cfm

This report provides a comprehensive and up-to-date study of the role played by women involved in entrepreneurial activity across the world economy.

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. (2007). High Growth Entrepreneurship. http://www3.babson.edu/ESHIP/research-publications/gem.cfm

Global Financial Education Program develops curriculum targeted to low income households and trains a broad range of service organizations to use it.

Global Inventory of Interventions to Support Young Workers. (2008). World Bank. From http://go.worldbank.org/E5BWW1PYY0

The Youth Employment Inventory has been compiled to improve the evidence base for making decisions about how to address the problem of youth employment. The World Bank has compiled a world-wide inventory of interventions designed to integrate young people into the labor market.

Guarcello, L. & Rosati, F. (2007, March). Child Labor and Youth Employment: Ethiopia Country Study. World Bank. From http://go.worldbank.org/89RJ1IZNB0

There is limited empirical basis in Ethiopia for formulating policies and programs promoting youth employment and successful school to work transitions. This study is aimed at beginning to fill this gap by analyzing a set of youth employment indicators drawn primarily from the 2001 Ethiopia Labor Force Survey.

Hossein, C.S. & Bantug-Herrera, A. (2008). Understanding the Impact of Employment, Entrepreneurship and Training Programs on Youth in Jordan and Rwanda. USAID. MicroNOTE #52. U.S. Agency for International Development and Chemonics International. From http://www.microlinks.org/ev_en.php?ID=27775_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

This publication seeks to examine the status, perceptions, and experiences of alumni graduating from or completing youth enterprise programs. Three organizations working in Jordan and Rwanda were competitively selected to participate in this research.

This practical guide provides concrete ideas for young people on how they can make a positive difference in their local communities as social entrepreneurs and changemakers. Only available in Spanish

International Labour Organization. (2008). Decent Work and Youth: Latin America, an Agenda for the Hemisphere 2006-2015. From http://white.oit.org.pe/tdj/informes/pdfs/tdj_informe_regional[ingles].pdf

This report highlights several proposals that combine analysis and experiences related to youth employment and the reality of decent work opportunities for youth in Latin America and the Caribbean.

International Labour Organization. (2008, October). Global Employment Trends for Youth. From the International Labour Organization Web Site: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/global.htm

The ILO's third edition of the Global Employment Trends for Youth (October 2008) examines the most recent labour market indicators and finds that young people still suffer disproportionately from a deficit of decent work opportunities. However, progress has been seen in some regions. The report, which updates the world and regional youth labour market indicators presented in previous reports (2004 and 2006), is organized according to nine regional analyses.

International Labour Organization. (2008, April). Joining Forces for Young People: A Practical Guide to Collaboration with Young People. From http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/yen/downloads/
yen_youth_guide_eng.pdf

This guide for youth acts to facilitate and motivate young peoples’ participation in youth employment policymaking. It is part of ongoing efforts to systemize the substantive and meaningful engagement of young people in the development and implementation of youth employment strategies.

International Labour Organization. (2007). Key Indicators of the Labor Market Fifth Edition. Geneva: International Labour Organization. From the ILO Web Site: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/kilm/index.htm

The Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM) makes labour market information and analysis easily accessible and facilitates the comparison of key elements of national labour markets. It contains a core set of 20 labour market indicators that cover various facets of decent work deficits around the world. The KILM thereby is a wide-ranging and broadly-used reference tool that meets the ever-increasing demands for timely, accurate and accessible labour market information and analysis in a rapidly changing world of work.

International Labour Organization Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. (2007). Decent Work and Youth : Latin America. Port of Spain, ILO. From the International Labour Convention’s Web Site http://white.oit.org.pe/tdj/informes/pdfs/tdj_resejec_ing.pdf

This report provides an overview of the youth employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

International Labour Organization. (2008, June). Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. From http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/disability/download/voices.pdf

This document highlights the personal stories of women entrepreneurs across four East African countries that have benefited from the ILO-Irish Aid Partnership Programme. These women, some of whom are youth, share their experiences and demonstrate how they help to positively shape and influence public opinion and gender-based assumptions about women entrepreneurs.

International Labour Organization. (2008). Skills for Improved Productivity, Employment Growth and Development. Report 97. From http://www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Publications/ILOBookstore/
Orderonline/Books/lang--en/docName--WCMS_092574/index.htm

This report seeks to examine how, within a decent work perspective, countries can develop their skills base so as to increase both the quantity and the productivity of labor employed in the economy.

International Labour Organization. (2008). Youth Employment: Breaking Gender Barriers for Women and Man. Geneva: International Labour Organization. From http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---gender/documents/publication/wcms_097919.pdf

This brochure provides a substantive overview of the state of youth employment around the world, and emphasizes the particular challenges facing young women.

International Youth Foundation. (2008, October). Working with the Business Sector to Advance Employment. Field Notes, 3, 13. From http://www.iyfnet.org/uploads/FieldNotes13BizSector_FINAL.pdf

This volume of Field Notes focuses on working with the business sector to advance youth employment.

ImagineNations. (2007). Youth Employment: Case Studies. From http://www.imaginenations.org/Home.aspx

ImagineNations’ global strategy builds on the experience of large-scale youth employment models around the world, including the Umsobomvu Youth Fund (UYF) in South Africa, BRAC in Bangladesh and the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) in China. ImagineNations has entered into learning partnerships with each of these initiatives to develop the in-depth case studies that provide tangible and inspiring examples of youth livelihood and employment schemes operating at scale.

James-Wilson, D. (2008, June). Youth Livelihoods Development Program Guide. Education Development Center. From the Educational Quality Improvement Program Web Site: http://www.equip123.net/docs/e3-LivelihoodsGuide.pdf

This Guide responds to the interest on the part of USAID and development practitioners worldwide for a common language to describe youth livelihood programs and a practical set of suggestions and reference materials to improve youth livelihood development practices and to expand programming in this increasingly important area.

James-Wilson, D. & Torres, V. (2008, May). Getting to What We Don’t Know We Don’t Know: Using Youth Inclusive Market Research Tools and Approaches to Develop Effective, Demand-Driven Youth Livelihoods Programs. Vol.1

The Coordinator’s Handbook provides program directors with an overview of an approach to assessing the livelihoods context of young people, their existing economic activities and understanding the economic decision-making within families and communities.

Jimenez, E. & Murthi, M. (2007, June). Investing in the Next Generation. Development Outreach. World Bank. From the World Bank Web Site: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/article.asp?id=407

The Report discusses what the priorities are for government action across the five youth “transitions” that shape investments in young people’s human capital: learning, working, staying healthy, forming families and exercising citizenship.

Kabbani, N. & Kamel, N. (2007, September). Youth Exclusion in Syria: Social Economic, and Institutional Dimensions. The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & The Dubai School of Government. From http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/537/

An interplay of economic, social and institutional factors has meant that young people in Syria are six times more likely than adults to be unemployed.

Kalyanwala, S. (2007). Influencing Girls’ Lives: Acceptability and Effectiveness of a Livelihoods Skill Building Intervention in Gujarat. Transitions to Adulthood, 18. New York: Population Council. From http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/TABriefs/PGY_Brief18_SEWA.pdf

Population Council shares their successes with adolescent girls through a partnership program with Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in Gujarat.

Katz, E. (2008). Programs Promoting Young Women’s Employment: What works? Adolescent Girls Initiative. Washington, DC: World Bank. From the World Bank Web Site: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTGENDER/Resources/
GenderYouthEmploymentKatz.pdf

This paper reviews existing policies and programs designed to promote labor force participation of young women in developing countries.

Khandekar, S.R., Koolwal, G. and Sinha, N. (2008). Benefits of Improving Young Women’s Labor Market Opportunities: Evidence from Group-Based Credit Programs in Rural Bangladesh. Background paper for Adolescent Girls Initiative. Washington, DC: World Bank. From the World Bank Web Site: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTGENDER/Resources/
ImprovingYoungWomenLaborMarketOpportunities.pdf

This paper examines whether young women demand more credit, and whether borrowing by younger women has improved a number of their individual and household outcomes relative to borrowing by older women and men.

Lam, D. (2007) The Demography and Economics of the World’s “Youth Bulge”. Development Outreach. World Bank. From the World Bank Web Site: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/article.asp?id=408

Many developing countries have reached or will soon reach a historical peak in the size of their youth population, a peak that is probably the largest number of young people these countries will ever see. This article discusses the impacts and implications of the “youth bulge”.

Leahy, E., Engelman, R., Vogel, C. G., Haddock, S., & Preston, T. (2007) The Shape of Things to Come. Population Action International. From: http://www.populationaction.org/Publications/Reports/
The_Shape_of_Things_to_Come/Summary.shtml

This report is about the ages of populations, how age is structured within populations, why that matters, and how governments and societies can influence population age structure.

Levine, R., Lloyd, C., Greene, M., & Grown, C. (2008). Girls Count: A Global Investment and Action Agenda. Washington, DC: Center for Global Development. From the Center for Global Development Web Site: http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/15154

This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods.

Llisterri, J. & Angelelli, P. (2007, June) Is Youth Entrepreneurship an Option? Development Outreach. June, 2007. From the World Bank Web Site: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/article.asp?id=412

This paper asks if entrepreneurship is a valid activity for adolescents and under what conditions is it a realistic option. It questions what can be done to help youth microenterprises be more sustainable and addresses such questions in an attempt to better understand youth businesses that are "by necessity" as opposed to "by opportunity."

Lopes, T. and Pasipanodya, T. (2008, November). Youth Employment Initiatives in West Africa: An Overview of Survey Results. ILO: Youth Employment Network, West Africa. From http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/yen/downloads/survey/
en_survey_youth_employment_west_africa.pdf

YEN-WA has undertaken a survey which identifies youth employment initiatives in West Africa.

Making Cents. (2007). Youth Microenterprise and Livelihoods: State of the Field: Lessons from the 2007 Global Youth Microenterprise Conference.

This publication is a culmination and synthesis of the presentations and idscussions that took place at the first-ever Global Youth Microenterprise Conference which was held in Washington, D.C. September 10-11, 2007. http://www.youtheconomicopportunities.org

McDowell, C. (2007, June) Youth as Assets for Development. Development Outreach. From the World Bank Website: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/article.asp?id=413

This article will addresses whether entrepreneurship is a valid activity for adolescents and under what conditions is it a realistic option and questions what can be done to help youth microenterprises be more sustainable? All in an attempt to better understand youth businesses that are “by necessity” as opposed to “by opportunity.”

MEASURE Evaluation. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Funded by the US Agency for International Development. http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/

MEASURE Evaluation works around the world to strengthen the capacity of host-country programs to measure progress in confronting disease, population issues, and poverty. This project improves the collection, analysis and presentation of data, and promotes better use of data in planning and managing population, health and nutrition programs, through a variety of systematic approaches.

Microfinance Opportunities, Freedom From Hunger, & Citigroup Foundation. Global Financial Education Program. http://www.microfinanceopportunities.org/workFE.php

Global Financial Education Program develops curriculum targeted to low income households and trains a broad range of service organizations to use it.

Morrison, A. & Sabarwal, S. (2008). The Economic Participation of Adolescent Girls and Young Women: Why Does It Matter? Background paper for Adolescent Girls Initiative. Washington, DC: World Bank. From the World Bank Web Site: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTGENDER/Resources/PolicyNoteRevised.pdf

This note summarizes available research on the impact of schooling and employment of adolescent girls and young women on earnings and poverty reduction, demographic outcomes, child development outcomes and female empowerment. It identifies key implications of this research for the formulation of public policy.

Nagarajan, G. (2005, March). Microfinance, Youth and Conflict: Emerging Lessons and Issues. USAID AMAP Publication. From http://www.microfinancegateway.org/content/article/detail/31355

This note outlines current practices, learnings and relevant issues for further examination to serve youth in conflict situations with microfinance.

National Youth Employment Coalition. (2007). Career and Technical Education's Role in Dropout Prevention and Recovery. From http://nyec.org/page.cfm?PageID=11&CategorySearch=137&startRow=31

This issue brief will explore the critical role that career and technical education (CTE) plays in dropout prevention and recovery. High quality career and technical education can help more students persist in and complete high school by preparing them for the postsecondary education and training that will be critical to future economic successes; by increasing student engagement; by building positive relationships; and by providing innovative delivery methods. It includes vignettes of programs or schools in Midwest City, Oklahoma; Miami, Florida; and Cincinnati, Ohio.

National Youth Employment Coalition. (2008).The Youth Opportunity Grants Initiative Evaluation Report. From the U.S. Department of Labor Website: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm?fuseaction=
dsp_resultDetails&pub_id=2393&mp=y

The objective of the Youth Opportunity Grants Initiative (YO) was to concentrate a sufficient level of funds in high poverty areas to improve the long-term educational and employment outcomes of youth living in these areas and to serve a high enough proportion of those youth to positively affect peer pressure.

National Youth Employment Coalition. (2008, Feb). Disconnected Youth: Federal Action Could Address Some of the Challenges Faced by Local Programs That Reconnect Youth to Education and Employment. From http://nyec.org/page.cfm?PageID=11&CategorySearch=137&startRow=21

While most young people successfully transition to adulthood, a significant number of youth are disconnected from school and employment. These youth are more likely than others to engage in crime, become incarcerated, and rely on public systems of support. Several federal agencies oversee a number of programs and grants that assist local programs in serving this population at the local level. GAO reviewed the following: (1) characteristics of locally operated programs that serve disconnected youth, (2) the key elements of locally operated programs to which directors attribute their success in reconnecting youth to education and employment, and (3) challenges involved in operating these programs and how federal agencies are helping to address these challenges.

Nopo, H., Robles, M., & Saavedra, J. (2007, October). Occupational Training to Reduce Gender Segregation: The Impacts of ProJoven. Research Department Working Paper #623. Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank. From the Inter-American Development Bank Web Site: http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=1179634

This paper discusses program evaluation for ProJoven, the Peruvian youth labor training program. The evaluation shows substantial differences in ProJoven’s impact for males and females. The results suggest that labor-training programs that promote equal gender participation have disproportionately positive effects on outcomes for women trainees in the labor market with substantial gender differences.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Transition Brief: Policy Recommendations on Preparing Americans for the Global Skills Race. From http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/p21_transition_paper_nov_24_2008.pdf

This policy brief offers the Obama Administration recommendations on ways to improve the U.S. school and workforce development systems for students, workers, and citizens to succeed in the global skills race.

Plan International. (2007). Because I Am a Girl: The State of the World’s Girls 2007. From http://www.plan-international.org/resources/publications/childrights/becauseiamagirl/

‘Because I am a Girl: The State of the World’s Girls 2007’ is the first in a series of annual reports published by Plan examining the rights of girls throughout their childhood, adolescence and as young women.

Puerto, O. S. (2007, July). Interventions to Support Young Workers in Latin America and the Caribbean: Regional Report for the Youth Employment Inventory. World Bank. From http://go.worldbank.org/E5BWW1PYY0

This report presents the results of the Youth Employment Inventory in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It describes the main characteristics of the interventions and analyses both the quality of the information and the quality of the intervention.

Puerto, O.S. (2007, January). Labor Market Impact on Youth: A Meta-Analysis of the Youth Employment Inventory. World Bank. From http://go.worldbank.org/H978C6DJP1

This paper uses a meta-analytical framework that examines the evaluation evidence collected by the Youth Employment Inventory, a World Bank initiative that compiles world-wide interventions designed to integrate youth into the labor market.

Puerto, O.S. (2007, January). International Experience on Youth Employment Interventions: The Youth Employment Inventory. From World Bank Web Site: http://go.worldbank.org/5AIMJQDJG1

The Youth Employment Inventory (YEI) is a World Bank initiative that compiles policies and interventions designed to integrate young people into the labor market. The documentation of 289 studies, synthesis reports and experiences from 84 countries has yielded a rich knowledge base on what can be done to support young workers. The inventory offers a highly comprehensive sample of interventions for youth, with an exhaustive collection of programs with impact evaluations, as well as programs with only basic and descriptive information.

Puerto, O.S. & Rothe, F. (2007, March). Interventions to Support Young Workers in OECD Countries: Regional Report for the Youth Employment Inventory. World Bank. From http://go.worldbank.org/E5BWW1PYY0

This report by the World Bank synthesizes an inventory of policies and interventions aimed at integrating young people into the labor market. It documents the experiences made withing the member countries of the OECD with a view to arrive at a presentation of the key lessons learned.

Reese, W. S. & Williams, A. (2007, June). Taking Matters into Their Own Hands: The Role of Today’s Young Social Entrepreneurs. Development Outreach. From the World Bank Web Site: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/article.asp?id=418

This paper addresses a growing trend with today’s young social entrepreneurs who are addressing a host of development issues, ranging from HIV/AIDS to child trafficking, environmental destruction, and civic apathy. It also discusses the role that IYF and other organizations have taken to support these youth.

Robinson, J.P., (2008, May). Living in Limbo: Burma’s Youth in Thailand See Few Opportunities to Use Education and Vocational Skills. From Women’s Commission on Refugee Women and Children Web Site: http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/th_youth.pdf

The report is based on the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children’s May 2008 visit to the Thailand-Burma border. The purpose of the assessment was to look at the educational needs of young people from Burma living in refugee camps in Thailand—what education and job training programs are available, what appears to be working and what more is needed to help young people make the transition from education programs into jobs or self-employment.

Rosas, G.& Rossignotti, G. (2008). Guide for the Preparation of National Action Plans on Youth Employment. Geneva: International Labour Organization. From http://www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Publications/ILOBookstore/
Orderonline/Books/lang--en/docName--WCMS_091361/index.htm

This Guide has been developed by the ILO to assist governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations as well as other relevant stakeholders such as youth groups in preparing National Action Plans on Youth Employment (NAPs).

Salehi-Isfahani, D. & Dhillon, N. (2008, October). Stalled Youth Transitions in the Middle East: A Framework for Policy Reform. The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & The Dubai School of Government. From http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/1166/

This paper is a framework for policymakers to improve youth outcomes by addressing institutional distortions across sectors – from the education system to the employment, housing, and credit markets.

Salehi-Isfehani, D. & Egel, D. (2007, December).Youth Exclusion in Iran: The State of Education, Employment and Family Formation. The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & The Dubai School of Government. From http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/538/

Despite robust growth, Iran’s education system, labor market and marriage market have fallen short to adequately adjust and ease the impact of a youth burst that was caused by high fertility rates in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Santis, W., Rosenblum, L., Whitman, C.V., & Bloome, A. (2007, May) Involving Young People in Efforts to Combat HIV and AIDS in Africa: The Importance of Income-Generating Strategies. Washington, DC: Education Development Center. From http://hhd.org/documents/combat_hiv_in_africa.pdf

To inform and guide policymaking, this report explores the role of youth engagement and income-generating strategies in mitigating the devastating impact of HIV and. It describes innovative efforts to compensate youth for their work in HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, and care throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Save the Children. (2008). Economic Strengthening for Vulnerable Children: Principles of Program Design & Technical Recommendations for Effective Field Interventions. USAID Field Report 2. From Microlinks Web Site: http://www.microlinks.org/ev_en.php?ID=21730_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

This is a seminal set of guidelines for donors and practitioners to strengthen economic opportunities for orphans, vulnerable children and their caretakers. The guidelines draw from the experience and expertise of the FIELD-Support consortium, MD, and other USAID specialists.

Scholvinck, S. Zelenev. (2007) World Youth Report 2007: Young people’s transition to Adulthood: Progress and Challenges. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)

The Report focuses on the obstacles faced by youth in finding decent work. It states that educational gains have not been translated into increased employment opportunities. Although education enrolment rates have increased, inadequate and low quality education perpetuates a mismatch between the skills acquired by youth at school and the demands of labour markets.

Simpson, S. (2006, February). The Measurement and Recognition of Soft Skills: Developing a Common Standard. From http://www.surrey.ac.uk/politics/cse/M-and-R-of-Soft-Skills.pdf

This paper addresses the possibility of developing a common standard of measurement for soft skills and whether there is a need for standardization.

Singerman, D. (2007, December). The Economic Imperatives of Marriage: Emerging Practices and Identities Among Youth in the Middle East. The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & The Dubai School of Government. From http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/559/

Through statistical, economic, political, and anthropological data, this paper first highlights the financial pressures that marriage places on young people and their families. The paper argues that we must conceptualize the political economy of youth through the lens of the “marriage imperative” because the financial investment in marriage takes years to accumulate and influences other key transitions of adolescence, including schooling, employment, education, and identity formation.

Silver, Hilary. (2007, December). Social Exclusion: Comparative Analysis of Europe and Middle East Youth. The Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings & The Dubai School of Government. From http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/558/

It is the intersection of youth with other dimensions of disadvantage that makes social exclusion a useful framework for analysis.

Sobeih, A. (2007, August) ICT and Enterprise Development. Sustainable Development Association. Egypt, Alexandria. From http://www.yesweb.org/docs/Toolkit_ICT_12_AUG_2007.pdf

This paper presents some projects that have succeeded in the use of ICTs to create youth employment opportunities and offers concrete examples of youth fighting against the digital divide.

Stavreska, Antoneta. (2007, April). Europe and Central Asia Youth Employment. World Bank. http://go.worldbank.org/E5BWW1PYY0

This regional report studies the characteristics of youth employment programs in ECA, describes popular interventions and their labor market impacts whenever evaluation evidence is available.

Stern, B. & Balestino, R. (2008, August). Rapid Youth Assessment in the Eastern Caribbean. USAID and EQUIP 3. From https://secure.edc.org/publications/prodview.asp?1930

A rapid youth assessment was conducted in Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts/Nevis, and Antigua to inform USAID/Eastern Caribbean's strategic planning. The assessment sought to determine the realities faced by 15-20 year-olds in the region and identify the resources and programs youth have access to. These findings and strategic options for USAID/EC’s youth strategy are presented in this report.

Street Kids International. Street Business Toolkit. (2008). From http://www.streetchildren.org.uk/reports/Business%20and%20Banking%
20Toolkit%20Overview.pdf

The Street Business Toolkit training of traners focuses on three levels of training: training of the content to the youth, training of the content and facilitation techniques to the youth workthers, and peer to peer learning through collaboration between the various NGOs and participating practitioners.

Torres, V. (2008).Utilizing Youth Responsive Market Research. Save the Children. From Microlinks Website: http://www.microlinks.org/ev_en.php?ID=25631_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

This USAID Note from the Field highlights Save the Children’s development of “youth friendly” market research tools to create stronger programs.

Torres, V. & Salima, N. (2008, January). Market Based Decision-Making Activity Book for Adolescent Girls: Complementary Material to Junior Farmer Field Schools, Village Savings and Lending Groups and REFLECT Circles.

The activity book provides youth livelihoods facilitators with a resource to use with girls in rural areas of Malawi. The material includes activities on budgeting and diversification of income sources.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2008) 21st Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness. From the Partnership Web Site: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/21st_century_skills_
education_and_competitiveness_guide.pdf

This guide summarizes the challenges and opportunities in 21st century education.

Vollmer, G., Ishii, A., & Mangiaterra, V. (2008, June). From Consultation to Participation: Youth Voices in Development Processes. From the World Bank Web Site: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/article.asp?id=419

Consultations can be a useful tool to engage with young people when they are perceived as equal partners. This paper reviews positive reasons for youth participation in programs.

Weller, J. (2007, August). Youth Employment: Characteristics, Tensions, and Challenges. CEPAL Review 92: 61-82. From the Comercio y Pobreza en Latinoamerica Web Site: http://www.cop-la.net/es/node/339

This article examines the circumstances, origins and consequences of these problems and reviews the statistical information available on recent trends in youth employment variables. It then identifies a number of tensions between the subjective perceptions of the young and the reality of the labour market, and reviews options for improving the youth employment situation with regard to the issues of employability, equal opportunities for young men and women, entrepreneurship and employment creation.

Women’s Commission on Refugee Women and Children. (2008, October). Market Assessment Toolkit for Vocational Training Providers and Youth.

The Market Assessment Toolkit is a combination of questionnaires and activities to assist vocational training providers and youth in gathering information on local market demand and translating it into improved programming. The aim of the toolkit is to assist service providers to take a more demand-driven approach, matching youths’ interests, skills and available resources to market opportunities for employment and self-employment.

Women's Commission. (2008, October). Desperate Lives: Burmese Refugee Women Struggle to Make a Living in Malaysia. From http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/mys_rep.pdf

The Women's Commission traveled to Malaysia to learn whether economic opportunities can protect Burmese refugees who live and work in Kuala Lumpur from gender violence, especially if they do not have legal status or the right to work.

Women's Commission, Global Youth Action Network, UNICEF and UNFPA. (2007, September). "Will you listen?": Young Voices from Conflict Zones. http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/Will%20You%20Listen_090607.pdf

This youth report will accompany the official 10 year Graca Machel Strategic Review report that will be submitted to the UN General Assembly on October 17, 2007. It compiles the views and recommendations from more than 1,700 young people from 92 countries through focus group discussions (including Women's Commission research in northern Uganda and Sierra Leone) and an online questionnaire.

Woollcombe, D. (2007, November).Youth-Led Development. Harnessing the Power of Youth to Make Poverty History. Peace Child International. http://www.peacechild.org/estore

In this briefing, David Woollcombe explains why youth is such a promising new field for overseas development assistance. He argues that youth should be at the centre of all development policy, and offers examples of where young people's interventions are most effective.

Woolsey, L. & Katz-Leavey, J. (2008, May). Transitioning Youth with Mental Health Needs to Meaningful Employment and Independent Living. National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth). From http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/reports/mental_health_case_study_report.pdf

NCWD/Youth, with funding from the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor, carried out a study on successful strategies to help youth with mental health needs transition to postsecondary education, employment, and independent lives. With a focus primarily on the role of skills development, work, and career exploration, case studies were conducted of five promising program sites, and program design features and system-level policies that appear to help youth and young adults with mental health conditions better transition into adulthood and life-long success were identified.

World Bank. (2007, June). Evaluating Youth Interventions. Youth Development Notes, 2, 5. From http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTCY/Resources/395766-1186420121500/YDNVolII5Evaluation.pdf

This note outlines some approaches to producing evidence of what works in the context of youth development projects, and looks at expanding the set of outcome indicators to more fully capture the effects of these projects on the welfare of young people around the world.

World Bank. (2008, September) Kosovo - Youth in Jeopardy : Being Young, Unemployed, and Poor in Kosovo: A Report on Youth Employment in Kosovo. From the World Bank Web Site: http://go.worldbank.org/L4S1VFN270

The main objective of the report is to provide a diagnosis on youth employment in Kosovo, which can provide the basis for future policy design.

World Bank. (2008, September) Madagascar - Post Primary Education: Developing the Workforce, Shaping the Future - Transformation of Madagascar's Post-Basic Education Vol. 1 of 2. From the World Bank Web Site: http://go.worldbank.org/BVPNAW83Z0

The main purpose of this report is to provide analytical inputs for the development of post-basic education reforms. Specifically, the report identifies and prioritizes: (i) the need for change in the structure, content and delivery of Madagascar's post-basic education and training system, and (ii) the key reforms in financing, governance and sub-sector management required to support changes to the structure, content and delivery of the post-basic system.

World Bank. (2008, September) Madagascar - Post Primary Education: Developing the Workforce, Shaping the Future - Transformation of Madagascar's Post-Basic Education. Vol. 2 of 2. From the World Bank Web Site: http://go.worldbank.org/L26S4V8420

The main purpose of this report is to provide analytical inputs for the development of post-basic education reforms. Specifically, the report identifies and prioritizes: (i) the need for change in the structure, content and delivery of Madagascar's post-basic education and training system, and (ii) the key reforms in financing, governance and sub-sector management required to support changes to the structure, content and delivery of the post-basic system.

World Bank. (2008, March) School and Work in the Eastern Caribbean: Does the Education System Adequately Prepare Youth for the Global Economy? From the World Bank Web Site: http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=8162869

The study provides in-depth analysis and relevant international cutting-edge practices to guide policymakers, educators, and private sector leaders in fostering a creative, productive, and well-paid workforce. Specifically, it makes the case for why the education and training systems in OECS member countries need to be more responsive to changing labor market demands in the region, taking into consideration the latest education and training policies in the region.

World Bank. (2008, January). Thailand Social Monitor on Youth : Development and the Next Generation. From the World Bank Web Site: http://go.worldbank.org/94ELK8BPU0

Thailand Social Monitor on Youth Report provides a framework for applying the lessons of the WDR 2007 at the national level, and deepens the understanding of the risks and opportunities faced.

World Bank. (2007, February). The Role of Youth Skills Development in the Transition to Work: A Global Review. Human Development Network Children and Youth Department Working Paper: No. 5. From http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTCY/Resources/395766-1187899515414/RoleofYouthSkills.pdf

This paper reviews literature from advanced and developing countries on the role played by skills in the transition to work and the economic outcomes in earnings and employment associated with the different approaches. Using results from rigorous program evaluations that control for selection bias, the paper highlights effective strategies for equipping youth with skills to make the transition to work, and for those who miss early education, it identifies programs that can offer youth a second chance to make this transition.

World Bank. 2007, October. Timor-Leste – Youth Development and the Labor Market. http://go.worldbank.org/N4JTB440R0

The World Bank, in cooperation with related locations and international partners of development, is assisting the Government of Timor-East in regard to their youth population. As part of this assistance, the World Bank has prepared this report — one among three reports — Timor-Leste : Developing Youth Employment and Markets.

World Bank. (2008, August). The World’s Youth, Their Future and Development. From the World Bank Web Site: http://go.worldbank.org/DGBETYWI60

The World Bank shares a brief article about the status of the world’s youth.

World Bank. (2007). World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation. Washington, DC: World Bank. http://go.worldbank.org/N17EUZ4T31

The report says that young people make up nearly half of the ranks of the world's unemployed, and, for example, that the Middle East and North Africa region alone must create 100 million jobs by 2020 in order to stabilize its employment situation. Moreover, surveys of young people in East Asia and Eastern Europe and Central Asia-carried out as research for the report-indicate that access to jobs, along with physical security, is their biggest concern.

World Bank. (2008, April). Youth Advisory Groups: New Allies in the World Bank's Work. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTCY/Resources/395766-1187899515414/YAGishii.pdf#YAGs

Youth Advisory Groups are a promising, new Bank initiative that links youth and decision makers in effecting changes in their communities that benefit all. This report captures the experiences and lessons learned from this initiative and outlines the variety of approaches and activities possible within the Youth Advisory Group framework.

World Bank. (2007, June). Youth and Development. Development Outreach. World Bank. From the World Bank Web Site: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/june07/

World Bank. (2008).Youth: An Undervalued Asset:Towards a New Agenda in the Middle East and North Africa. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. www.worldbank.org/

This brief reviews the status and challenges of young people in the region, as well as the benefits of investing to enhance their opportunities and capabilities.

World Bank. (2008, June). Youth Entrepreneurship: Measures to Overcome the Barriers Facing Youth. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTCY/Resources/
Vol2No6YouthEntrepreneurship.pdf

This note highlights some of the barriers to and opportunities for youth entrepreneurship and suggests policies that may help to overcome these barriers.

Yordy, R. (2008). Enhancing 'Learning Through Work': Strengthening Educational Opportunities for Children Working in Micro-Enterprises in Egypt. Canada: PTE/MEDA. From http://www.baalty.org/en/index.html

This document outlines research conducted into "Learning Through Work," an initiative PTE/MEDA is piloting in its PPIC-Work Egypt project to examine and improve the ways that working children and youth learn while they are working.

Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children. (2008, July). Youth and Sustainable Livelihoods: Linking Vocational Training Programs to Market Opportunities in Northern Uganda.

This report looks at vocational training (VT) in northern Uganda. VT is at the intersection of economic recovery, education and rehabilitation and reintegration. It is uniquely positioned to meet the demands of youth and broader goals of economic reconstruction in post-conflict situations.

Youth Employment Summit Campaign. (2007). The 3P’s Strategy: Policy Partnership Program: A Guide to Developing Poverty Eradication Programs in YES Networks. http://www.yesweb.org/docs/The_3Ps_Strategy_Policy_Partnership_Program.pdf

This document outlines the 3P’s program design strategy — identify the policy to effect, establish partnerships, and develop programs. This strategy focuses on reducing the number of unemployed youths in the developing world.

Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy Group. (2008, November). Youth Entrepreneurship Education in America: A Policymaker's Action Guide. From http://www.aspeninstitute.org/yesg

This Action Guide provides concrete steps U.S. policymakers can take to increase the access U.S. students have to entrepreneurship education in their schools. It also advocates for more investment in entrepreneurship education as a way to empower young people and build their critical mix of success-oriented attitudes and opportunity recognition skills the 21st Century requires.

Zeesman, M., Robinson, J.P., Quick, D., Dublon, D., & Cunningham, J. (2008, April) Country at a Crossroads: Challenges Facing Young People in Sierra Leone Six Years after the War. From Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children Web Site: http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/sl_youth.pdf

Six years after the war ended, young people in Sierra Leone continue to be marginalized and lack opportunities. The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children traveled to Sierra Leone in February 2008 as part of its Youth Initiative to assess young people's needs, what services appear to be working, gaps in programming for young people and what more is needed.

Zimmerman, J., Boshara, R., Sherraden, M., Li Zou, Meek, L., Feldman, A., McKee, K., (2007, June). Global Savings, Assets and Financial Inclusion: Lessons, Challenges and Directions. http://www.newamerica.net/files/Singapore%20report_0.pdf

The report addresses emerging global trends, opportunities and collaborations across the fields of asset building, microfinance, policy and financial education, and describes lessons, challenges and opportunities for thinking about how the poor, in developed and developing countries, can build their assets and wealth.