Abstract
This multi-round Youth Cohort Study was conducted as part of the evaluation of the Building the Potential of Youth (Youth Potential) Activity under the broader Ethiopia Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Service (EPMES) Activity. The study measures Activity outcomes and changes over 12 months for a subset of Youth Potential beneficiaries from four Ethiopian regions. The study uses a panel design and qualitative and quantitative approaches to measure changes in income, employment status, work readiness skills, knowledge of and access to employment/entrepreneurial resources, and functional literacy and numeracy skills. Data were collected at three points of the study - baseline, midline and endline - through surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and informational meetings.
The study findings show that 12 months after participation in the Activity, a significantly larger number of participants were employed (69 percent) and had a higher income (71 percent) than at baseline. Of those employed, 88 percent were self-employed, with agriculture and trading as the primary occupations. Participants reported that they had greater self-confidence and a better work ethic and felt more empowered in searching for employment, creating self-employment, and obtaining complete information.