Learning to Earning is IREX’s flagship initiative to support youth in the changing world of work. Youth employment continues to be one of the most inextricable challenges to global economic, social, and environmental development.
Studies show that 4 in 10 young people never transition into stable employment even once they are older. IREX has responded to this challenge by creating evidence-based and field-tested resources to directly support young people with their transition from school to work successfully and to help program designers and donor agency representatives design youth employment solutions that are relevant, impactful, and based on up-to-date data and evidence about the day-to-day realities of young people.
Project Activities
Designing Employment Solutions that Respond to Youth Needs: This guide was created to help program designers and donor agency representatives understand and consider the stories and voices of youth (individuals aged 18-35) within program design and decision-making conversations. Results and recommendations from this activity come from a sequential, mixed methods study of young people’s lived experiences seeking work after completing education.
Youth Well-being Along Their Learning to Earning Journeys: This research activity deepens understanding on how youth well-being impacts and is affected by the learning to earning journey and presents recommendations geared toward youth-led and serving organizations and donors, providing guidance on how these actors can support youth well-being along their learning to earning journeys.
The Evolving Landscape of Work & the Digital Skills Gap: This activity provides insights into young people’s experiences with digital skill building, covering their motivations, fears, learning strategies, successes, and challenges, and gauging knowledge of and experiences with online safety, privacy and security breaches, mis- and disinformation, and cyber-bullying. The findings highlight the complex landscape of digital upskilling for Kenyan youth, marked by significant challenges such as financial constraints, time management issues, and non-conducive learning environments.
