TechnoServe has created the Youth Employability Program (YEP) in 2015 along with the support of the Citi Foundation & J.P. Morgan in Mumbai, with the objective of knocking down barriers to formal sector employment for young people from marginalized communities. The program has helped 1,000 young graduates and is currently working with 5,000 students. 

Every year India produces more university graduates than any country except China and the challenge stems not primarily from a lack of hard skills, but often because the graduates cannot communicate effectively, some have not mastered the English language, or lack connections in the formal sector. 

Aishwarya Nanaware, who was once a participant of the YEP program, stated: 

“My plan was to work after graduation, but I could not clear the interviews, I did not know what answers to give and had difficulty framing the right sentences on the spot, the TechnoServe training gave me clarity in thought and speech, prepared me well to face interviews, I learned what to expect from the different hiring processes, a structured manner to answer the company hiring managers and how to tackle difficult questions.” Aishwarya is now in a job in the formal sector as a sales coordinator at a bank. 

Through young trainers, TechnoServe YEP, provides workshops and mentoring to the recent graduates, equipping them with the skills, confidence and knowledge to succeed and connecting them with companies looking to hire young workers.  Read more