Our approach to youth employment and entrepreneurship

Youth unemployment stands at 13.1% globally (ILO), with the highest rates concentrated in Africa and Asia. For young people in fragile contexts and disadvantaged groups, access to economic empowerment and employment can help overcome significant barriers to entering the labour market.

Together with our partners, including local governments and private sector institutions, we apply a market systems development approach to facilitate access to market opportunities for young women and men aged 18-35 years. We also facilitate access to essential tools, skills, and networks to enhance their agency, confidence, and employability across three core sectors: agri-food, energy, and water.

The Youth Driving Change position showcases how SNV works with young people to unlock employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership opportunities across agri-food, energy, and water systems. It provides an accessible overview of SNV’s market‑led and systems‑focused approach, which helps young people overcome barriers to finance, skills, networks, and decent work.

The brochure highlights how SNV integrates youth voice, gender and social inclusion, climate resilience, and digital innovation to build stronger local economies. Through practical examples from YEE programmes in Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania, Mali, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, it demonstrates how targeted training, incubation and acceleration, financial access, mentorship, and public‑private partnerships can transform individual livelihoods and entire communities.

This stories of impact proposition is designed for development practitioners, donors, government partners, and organisations seeking effective models for youth economic empowerment. It illustrates how the Access–Match–Grow–Enable (AMGE) contextual framework creates market opportunities, improves employability, and strengthens inclusive systems. By focusing on agency, innovation, and partnership, the strategy shows how youth can drive economic and social progress when supported with opportunities that match their ambitions.

To learn more about SNV’s wider work on youth employment and how we support system-level change, you can explore several related resources. The YEE Strategy 2025–2030 offers a full overview of SNV’s long-term vision and highlights how we partner with young people, communities, and institutions to create lasting impact.

For a broader picture of SNV’s youth initiatives across different countries and sectors, the Youth Theme page brings together key evidence, insights, and programme highlights.

If you would like additional information on how SNV strengthens youth economic opportunities in practice, our Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship approach outlines the principles, frameworks, and partnerships that guide our work.