In collaboration with Plan International, the ASEAN Foundation works to address youth employment crises across countries in Southeast Asia, through “Bridges to the Future: ASEAN Youth Employment”. This two-year pilot programme that is supported by Google.org aims to address the youth employment crisis.

This crisis is one of the growing concerns where it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic that will also have lasting economic impacts for years to come. Followed by a global economic recession, unemployment is feared to hit vulnerable groups the hardest including young people.

This initiative focuses on supporting ASEAN youth, in not only acquiring the necessary 21st-century skills to (re)enter the workforce, but also building a more sustainable and secure economy post-pandemic. Together, we identify the most needed skills for vulnerable youth job seekers in the region, particularly Indonesia and Vietnam, through market research and provide them with market-driven vocational training as well as job-matching assistance. We intend to reach over 10,000 job seekers in these two countries, to learn from this experience, to identify, and create scalable employment bridges to the future for youth across the ASEAN region.