Generation

More than 75 million youth are unemployed and many more underemployed. Yet, 40% of employers say they cannot find the talent they need for entry-level roles. Many workforce programs seek to bridge this divide, but face challenges in achieving high learner employment and job retention outcomes while simultaneously delivering a program that is global, scalable, and cost-effective.

Generation is a youth employment organization operating in 83 cities. We are doubling the number of countries in which we have programs – from our original five to over ten by the end of 2018. We are currently active in seven countries – Hong Kong, Italy, India, Kenya, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, US and we have four countries in pre-launch – Brazil, France, Pakistan, and the UK. Our mission is twofold: to empower young people to build thriving, sustainable careers and to provide employers the highly skilled, motivated talent they need.

Generation trains youth in profession-specific skills, places them in jobs, and monitors their performance thereafter. Employment programs are often synonymous with training alone. Generation takes a holistic approach whereby we:

1. Pre-confirm employer job vacancies.
2. Recruit learners based on intrinsic and commitment.
3. Conduct 4-12 week activity-based “bootcamps”, integrating technical, behavioral, and mindset skills.
4. Provide social supports (e.g., transportation, mentorship).
5. Offer ongoing support to our alumni.
6. Track returns, including participant well-being and employer productivity and quality outcomes.

Training alone has never been enough to create opportunity—Generation has always provided a holistic solution. The approach has seven steps, including 1) pre-confirmed job vacancies, 2) learner recruitment based on intrinsics, effort, and profession requirements, 3) activity-based training that integrates technical, behavioral, mindset skills, with social support services provided in parallel, 4) interviews with employers for immediate job placement, 5) direct mentorship and a strong alumni community, 6) return on investment tracking over time, and 7) a data-centered approach throughout.

Generation has over 21,000 graduates, with over 84% of graduates in jobs, 70% still employed one year later, and graduates’ income 2-6 times higher than before the program. We work with 2,300+ employer partners, and ~85% of employers say Generation graduates outperform their peers.

Generation embeds its approach in local institutions, with the ultimate aim of being self-financing through government and employer contributions. Generation launched three and a half years ago offering programs in 23 professions across four sectors. Generation seeks to expand to new geographies, support older learner profiles, offer a 40-60% online program, and conduct workplace-based interventions.