99823 Providing training and employment opportunities for 17,500 of Papua New Guinea's youth Approval Date: 11 January 2011 Closing Date: 30 April 2016 Total Project Cost: US$17.98 million Donors: World Bank (International Development Association)—US$15.8 million ; National Capital District Commission—US$1.58 million ; Republic of Korea— US$0.6 million Implementing Agency: National Capital District Commission  Provide short term training prospects for Port Moresby’s youth.  Improve social stability and alleviate poverty through the creation of temporary employment opportunities.  Help young people realise their potential and prepare them for the workforce.  BACKGROUND Young people under the age of 20 account for almost half of Papua New Guinea’s total population and constitute a disproportionate part of the urban poor. In Port Moresby, the country’s capital, youth between the ages of 15 and 29 represent 35.1 percent of the total population, as compared to 28.5 percent nationally. It is estimated that the youth cohort will grow by at least another 13 percent by 2015 due to natural population increases and in-migration. This combination of rapid demographic growth and urbanization creates tremendous pressures for employment generation. Recent studies indicate that an increasing proportion of urban youth are being marginalised: they endure inequality, exclusion and poverty, and are vulnerable to engaging in crime and violence in situations where they lack education, legitimate incomes, occupations and the necessary social support between leaving school and finding work. Three underlying issues pose significant challenges for these marginalised groups: i) their lack of access to the education system; (ii) their lack of access to the labour market; and iii) their increasing involvement in urban crime and violence. ABOUT THE PROJECT The Urban Youth Employment Project will address four key issues: poverty, employment, human capital development and social stability. It is designed as a poverty reduction and skills development program, providing a second chance for youth who may be at-risk of engaging in anti-social or criminal activities as a means to survive. The project will impact 17,500 beneficiaries between the ages of 16 and 25 in the National Capital District (NCD), and produce more than one million work days. Eighty-eight percent of the project’s budget will be invested directly into the economy in the form of training, stipends, goods and works. It will have a substantial impact on poverty because it is designed to provide opportunities for the largest segment of the poor—unemployed youth—and help to raise them above the poverty line. Employers in Port Moresby indicate that they struggle to fill employment gaps within the formal sector with reliable staff that have the basic technical skills and life skills required for work. Consequently, the project will strengthen human capital development, the supply of labour, and support the youth transition from unskilled into semi-skilled work. A partnership between the Government, the private sector and civil society, the project will offer training and work placement opportunities for urban youth. Significant investments will be made in the training and the up-skilling of youth through the provision of life-skills, industrial technical and business services, financial literacy and banking services, identification and job intermediary services and job placements, as well as professional counseling and peer mentoring for youth. LOCATION The project will provide employment opportunities in the nation’s capital, Port Moresby. RESOURCES  Project Details  Project Documents  Frequently Asked Questions  Download Project Brochure (914kb pdf) CONTACT World Bank Task Team Leaders Ingo Wiederhofer Senior Operations Officer iwiederhofer@worldbank.org Sonya Woo Social Development Specialist swoo1@worldbank.org Urban Youth Employment Project – Project Management Unit Community and Social Services Division Lakatoi Haus, Ground Floor P.O. Box 7270, Waigani, National Capital District Tel: (+675) 323-8949 tomg@ncdc.gov.pg