YouthCan

260 million young people worldwide are neither in employment, education nor training, according to the International Labour Organization. For those growing up without the support of their families, the chances of falling into the NEET group are particularly high. Without the support network often provided by a family, it can be difficult to even begin bridging the gap between school and work.

YouthCan! - our global programme for youth employment and entrepreneurship - was launched in 2017 by SOS Children’s Villages and global partners from the private sector to promote decent work for young people without parental care or at risk of losing it.

In 2025, over 30,000 young people across 48 countries received holistic support through YouthCan!.

In this joint effort, employees from our corporate partners share their time, skills, expertise and own career stories. These volunteers plan workshops, facilitate exposure to professional environments and act as professional mentors. Volunteers and young people can connect in person or online through the digital platform YouthLinks Community, which enables worldwide collaborative learning.

YouthCan! combines mentoring, soft and technical skills training and first work experiences into one comprehensive approach. The programme is locally led, tailored to the local labour market and to the needs of each young person.

This is made possible through the commitment and engagement of 1,590 volunteers from 374 partners worldwide. While YouthCan! continues to grow and improve in both reach and activities that use digitalization to their advantage, the leading challenges for young people remain access to digital devices and connection to the internet.

The digital platform YouthLinks Community utilizes the power of technology to develop young people’s skills through training, mentorship and networking, all within a safe digital environment. It provides an opportunity for young people and volunteers to connect more easily, thus breaking geographical barriers. Through online activities, young people transitioning to independence gain digital literacy and employability skills that are crucial for them to succeed in the job market.

At the end of 2020, we decided to validate the success of YouthCan! by commissioning an independent evaluation of its outcomes in four countries.

Executive Summary

Partnering for impact

Working with our corporate and support partners, we aim to increase our impact on the lives of children, young people and communities, thus actively contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

As part of the YouthCan! network, corporate partners match local talent with corporate needs, generating business value and strengthening their reputation and brand among customers and employees.

There are many ways you can support YouthCan! at the local, national or international level.

Contact us for more information: youthcan@sos-kd.org.

Network of global YouthCan! partners

YouthCan! News

ICT4D

YouthLinks Community: Empowering young people on a global scale

June 28 2024 - As the world celebrates Social Media Day, SOS Children's Villages celebrates the YouthLinks Community - a digital platform designed to provide young people on their journey to self-reliance with access to online learning, networking, mentoring, and participation opportunities.

ICT4D

Data-driven empowerment

November 23 2023 - Enhancing our case management through process mining and business intelligence - a collaboration between SOS Children’s Villages and the tech sector.

YouthCan!

A vision for the future

June 1 2023 - Twelve young people from around the world traveled to Germany in May 2023 to take the stage at the 4th Global YouthCan! Conference. 150 stakeholders, including YouthCan! participants, corporate partners and experts, met in Bonn to form a common vision for the future of the programme.

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