Voices from the Field: Save the Children
The Challenge
In Vietnam, approximately two in three people with disabilities between the ages of 15 to 65 are unemployed and without a stable source of income. Despite tax incentives for hiring people with disabilities, employers lack the capacity or information on how to effectively recruit and hire. In addition, many people with disabilities are often guided toward career paths based on assumptions about their abilities, rather than being supported in pursuing opportunities that reflect their unique talents, aspirations and ambitions.
Given these challenges, it’s important to cultivate employment solutions that focus on supporting youth with disabilities. Providing on-ramps to quality jobs for youth with disabilities early can help create pathways to long-term careers and economic mobility.
The Approach
In 2017, Save the Children adapted its global Skills to Succeed (S2S) program to better support employment pathways for youth with disabilities. S2S equips participants with the skills and networks to find jobs, build businesses and boost their economic mobility. With support from the Citi Foundation, Save the Children expanded this model from a pilot in Indonesia to youth across Vietnam.
In Vietnam, Save the Children works with individuals and organizations to provide wrap-around support to youth with disabilities and expand their access to jobs. Participants strengthen their soft skills, digital literacy and job-seeking capabilities. Save the Children also engages parents and guardians, encouraging them to play an active role in their children’s career orientation, from taking them to school to motivating them to complete their training.
Save the Children additionally helps schools and workplaces adapt and roll out curricula to equip youth with disabilities with critical workforce skills and supports the development of internships that can lead to employment. They work closely with businesses to develop detailed training work plans, training manuals and individual progress tracking systems as part of a personalized adaptive learning approach. Moreover, Save the Children collaborates with local governments to promote and implement these job training models.
The initiative continues to catalyze job opportunities and make an impact in Vietnam. Over the last two years alone, the program has engaged 75 organizations and businesses, reaching approximately 760 youth with disabilities, including 45 young people that have been placed in jobs and 370 young people that have completed job orientation and life skills training.
"Save the Children is strongly committed to empowering youth with disabilities by equipping them with the skills and opportunities needed to find decent jobs and build a sustainable future. This transformative journey would not be possible without the invaluable support of donors like Citi Foundation. Through this collaboration, we have seen incredible stories of youth overcoming challenges and barriers to achieve their dreams.”
“I am deeply grateful to have participated. This meaningful opportunity has helped me find new team members to collaborate with and has strengthened our capacity, not only within our business but also in extending support to the wider community. This has enabled us to develop a more sustainable business model. We sincerely thank the project team and sponsors. Giặt là Sáng (Sáng Laundry) is committed to continuing on this journey, spreading the values brought by the project, and contributing even more to society.”
"I’ve earned the first money of my life – a small amount, but truly meaningful. Now I understand that those who give their all to pursue their dreams will be rewarded accordingly."
“By collaborating with Save The Children, we are empowering young individuals with disabilities with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed and thrive in the workforce.”
Looking ahead, Save the Children aims to expand career services, support businesses and strengthen industry partnerships to create economic opportunities for youth with disabilities in Vietnam and beyond.
Learn more about how Citi Foundation has supported Save the Children and other organizations through Pathways to Progress here.