Save the Children Japan (SCJ) and the World Bank today announced the launch of a USD 2.75 million grant for a project supporting vulnerable young people in rural Mongolia. The project—funded by the Government of Japan under the Japan Social Development Fund and managed by the World Bank—will help teenagers in disadvantaged rural communities gain the skills and competencies needed for success in school and in the labour market.

Despite increased educational attainment in Mongolia, vulnerable young people in rural areas who are at risk of dropping out (or have already dropped out) of school continue to face challenges entering the labour market. This happens both due to limited job opportunities, as well as their lack of the technical and socio-emotional skills needed for successful careers and self-employment. Socio-emotional skills include self-management, goal orientation, personal responsibility, and decision-making. The project will address these gaps by improving the quality and relevance of training for rural youth through a school-based, community-driven program focused on fostering entrepreneurship and facilitating better linkages between youth and potential markets and industries.

“By offering training and the opportunity to practice what they have learned in classrooms, the project will help rural young people improve their academic performance and enhance their future career prospects by preparing them for a labor market,” said Andrei Mikhnev, World Bank Country Manager for Mongolia.

With support from the World Bank, SCJ will implement the project in 25 of Mongolia’s poorest rural districts across five provinces targeting at least 6,000 in-school and out-of-school rural youth. In addition, a small grant scheme will enable the young people who complete the course to apply the acquired skills by harnessing unexploited local business and community needs. Furthermore, the project will help strengthen the policy environment that supports entrepreneurship education through evidence-based advocacy and public outreach campaigns. (World Bank)