Youth Service Center – Youth Capacity-Building

Objective

With the collaboration of Oxfam in Laos, our partner PADETC has developed a project which aims to help disadvantaged Lao youth, especially drop-out school students, to access improved secondary and tertiary education through training in vocational skills and community development skills, with a focus on environmental issues, agriculture, and water and forestry management. Although some young people (primarily those based in urban areas) now have access to improved secondary and tertiary education, training in these skills is not included in school or university curricula, and this is particularly the case for girls. For young people in rural areas who do not attend school for various reasons, there are limited opportunities for employment or applied skill training. This situation leaves these young people vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation as unskilled workers.

Project period

01/03/2016 -  30/11/2018

Target Outcomes

1: Develop appropriate curricula, a learning and community centre building wherefor young Lao girls and boys and, in due course, provide job placement opportunities through the centre.

2: Build an informal learning centre, which can ‘house’ a number of community activities, primarily skills training for this target group.

3: A space where civil society organisations and development partners can meet, present and receive training, network on environmental issues, and improve coordination on these sensitive issues.

Project main activities

• Providing support to PADETC in building the training centre.

• Contribution to the development of the community development curriculum.

• Supporting students to allow them to attend the community development and hard skills courses.

• Improving management capacity for the training centre.

Project partners

Participatory Development Training Centre (PADETC)

Contributing donors

Oxfam Australia