YPCA worked to improve livelihoods for at-risk youth to prevent their engagement in exploitative labor and the worst forms of child labor. The project provided at-risk youth with skills and education directly related to labor market needs in a safe learning environment; helped at-risk youth secure and retain employment; promotes youth employment through business partnerships; and strengthens government and community organizations’ ability to support relevant vocational training and employment opportunities for youth. In the aftermath of hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic, the project began meeting short-term and emergency needs of project participants, including providing supermarket vouchers and in-kind food and hygiene products to children engaged in the project. The project also provided start-up inputs and technical training to support the establishment of home gardens.

This global, multi-country project sought to improve occupational safety and health issues of young workers, and to promote a culture of prevention of occupational illness and injury.  Programming placed a particular focus on those aged 15-24, who, as they join the workforce, may be positioned to contribute to a sustainable and prevention-focused OSH culture.    

Our impact evaluation projects use rigorous quantitative techniques to evaluate the impact of interventions on reducing child labor, forced labor and human trafficking—part of a broader ILAB effort to build rigorous evidence on what works to secure and protect the rights of children and adults. Such evaluations support our partner governments’ evidence-based policymaking efforts, and also help identify proven strategies to inform ILAB’s future investments in global programs to combat child labor and forced labor.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) is implementing the MAST capacity building component of the Better Work program to increase labor law compliance in the apparel sector.