Swipe To Survive: How Digital Payments Tackle Youth Unemployment In Nigeria

Targeted plumbing training programs are providing women with life-changing skills, independence, and career opportunities. Led by initiatives such as the German government aid agency GIZ and the Wise Women Plumbers Cooperative, hundreds of women have become licensed plumbers, overcoming societal stigma to gain economic empowerment, improve local water management, and shift perceptions around women's roles.

To combat unemployment, the Girls2Women Initiative runs 6- to 12-week training programs for girls and women in underserved communities in Nigeria. During this time they learn skills they can use to find a job or start their own business in industries like graphic design, decor, and tailoring.

Old Skool Café provides opportunities for youth, particularly those who were formerly incarcerated and/or in foster care, to gain life skills, job training, and receive help managing their finances, writing resumes and cover letters, build people skills, and strengthen interpersonal communication. The restaurant allows the youth to train for every position in an industry that generates 25% of the area’s jobs.

The Ali Forney Center is the largest of several organizations across the country serving LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. It has seventeen sites and serves about 2,000 young people a year, nearly half of whom come from out of state. In addition to setting people up with stable housing, the drop-in center serves daily meals and offers showers and laundry. Advocacy programs and case managers help the youth find permanent jobs, further their education, or put funds aside to secure stable long-term housing. They also offer counseling services, support groups, and temporary employment for many young people.

A coffee shop is employing young people experiencing homelessness. Employment at the coffee shop provides the stability and support they need to find and maintain housing. Income, structure, and skills gained from employment at the cafe are the springboard needed for the young adults to secure stability. 

There is a certain population of youth aged 16-24 that are neither in school nor working because of some derailment (oftentimes burdensome responsibilities) along the way. A national organization called Nxt Level helps people get back on track with their goals through a specialized team that helps an individual with things like getting a GED, mental health or legal resources, job training, and food programs. They even work with local businesses to give the kids a chance and hire them upon their completion of the program. Nxt Level now has centers in Baltimore, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and more.

Two social enterprises in London are making significant strides in helping out the homeless and rough sleepers. One, named Beam, uses a crowdfunding platform to help finance training and qualifications for work for a variety of professions, from beauticians to electricians. The other, named Overstream Clean, hires the homeless to perform cleaning and gardening work, and they advertise themselves as a cleaning company rather than a social enterprise. Those who have gone through the programs say that they feel empowered and motivated by the help offered by their community.

Virginia's FastForward program helps students access job training programs and earn credentials faster at a lower cost, with participants paying only one third of the amount. Students who complete one of the eligible programs see their wages increase by an average of $14,869.

Nonprofits Manufacturing Renaissance and Youth Crossroads provide vocational training that Chicago's public schools have largely abandoned, particularly in disinvested communities. Manufacturing Renaissance runs free seven-week metalworking cohorts that include stipends, tools, job placement support, and an alumni network, and has trained more than 1,200 young adults since 1982. Youth Crossroads offers multiple workforce tracks, including HVAC certification and paid internships, and 88% of trade program graduates report feeling prepared to enter the workforce.

The You Belong Foster Youth Initiative is a partnership between LA County's Department of Children and Family Services and the local YMCA that provides free YMCA membership and wraparound services to foster youth ages 12-26 across 28 facilities. Launched in May 2025, the program offers various activities, including access to health and wellness classes, sports, and case management services, including mentoring and licensed clinical social workers.