Support for the JobStart Philippines Program Rollout

This project aims to establish a nationwide JobStart Program in the Philippines. At least 24 000 youth (60% young women) are provided access to gender-sensitive employment-related life skills training (including reproductive health) and on-the-job experience thereby increasing their chances of finding decent long-term employment. In the Philippines one in four young people are not employed or enrolled in education or training with even higher rates amongst young women and those coming from low-income families. The JobStart Program (JSP) works with the private sector to assist youth to become job-ready. Providing youth with decent jobs is vital to reducing gender inequalities and poverty. By helping youth become productive members of society through the JSP combined with other national programs to lower the country's fertility rate the Philippines has the opportunity to reap the benefits of its young population. JSP aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG 8) and the Government of the Philippines' (GoP) goal to reduce poverty. This project is expected to transition to a fully funded GoP program by 2020 and build on the successful GAC-supported pilot of the JSP Program (2014-2016) also administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) 1100 Strengthened provision of gender-sensitive employment support services to youth especially women by DOLE and PESOs in targeted local government units in the Philippines; and (2) 1200 Increased employability of youth especially women in targeted local government units in the Philippines.