Youthreach implemented a pilot Life Skills programme in Delhi, India, in partnership with Standard Charted U.K, International Youth Foundation USA and Naz Foundation. The Workforce Readiness Programme aimed at addressing the concerns of young people by seeking to improve the employability and life skills primarily through a curriculum based intervention, using participatory teaching methods and student engagement practices. The objective of the programme was to make young girls in the age group of 18-24 work ready by providing workforce readiness skills, key employability skills, workplace English skills and ensuring that everyone is successfully placed in job, by the end of the programme. The programme also had an added component of mentorship wherein the girls got continuous support and guidance in first 2 months of employability from mentors to help them sustain themselves in their job.

During the programme Youthreach trained and mentored 110 young girls and placed 85% of them in entry level jobs at leading corporates and agencies such as H&M, Dunkin Donuts, Homeshop18, Jubilants Foodwork, Precision Testing, Faces Salon etc. The remaining students went for higher studies to achieve the professional goals that they had set during the programme.

During the course of the program drastic positive changes were noticed in the girls. The program facilitated:

• Improvement in spoken and written English
• Improvement in employability prospects
• Development of personal competencies, such as confidence building, effective work habits, healthy lifestyles, and service learning.
• Improvement in decision making, conflict management and self management
• Boost in confidence of young girls in the areas of job interviews, setting career goals, workplace protocol and effective team-work.
• Mentorship which helped the girls in holding on to the job and get motivated throughout the first two crucial months of job.

One of the major achievements of the programme was that it helped Goal Champions to become financially independent. Almost 90% of the girls firmly believed that without WRP they would not be able to get a job let alone thinking of getting a decent job.