Soci l Prot ction Jobs Pov rt Equit Providing sustained motivation, encouraging skill-building, and fostering planning skills for young jobseekers The Project in Argentina led to The socio-emotional development modules were de- an increase of 20% veloped by the Ministry of Labor in collaboration with the World Bank teams. They were based on qualitative on the take-up of research to diagnose barriers to youth employability, additional employment which included a series of discussions and interviews with unemployed youth and staff from employment centers. support services. The activities were incorporated into the sessions of an introductory course for newly enrolled beneficiaries. They were designed to motivate participants to attend the full course, continue benefiting from further support services, and improve their chances of finding a job. The lesson plan followed three sections that incorporat- ed several socio-emotional skills. The motivation module provided a self-reflection space to improve the self-image through gratitude and belongingness, in other words, to Youth unemployment rates are high in Argentina, acknowledge positive life aspects and reduce stigma from where over 23 percent of women and 19 percent being an unemployed youth. The openness activity helped of men aged 14 to 29 are out of work.1 Tied to participants internalize their capacity to improve their abil- a mismatch between the experience and skills ities and current conditions through effort and persever- youth have and the current conditions of the ance, namely, to instill a growth mindset. The final module, labor market, inactivity and unemployment pose on planning, focused on assisting youth in establishing psychological and emotional burdens on the attainable goals, identifying obstacles to employment wellbeing of young jobseekers: a lack of confidence within their reach, and defining an actionable response plan for them. from the unawareness of employment conditions and available support services; discouragement The study included 14,869 participants from 514 intro- and defeatism from a mismatch between job ductory courses at 88 municipal employment offices, expectations and reality; feelings of exclusion with training beginning between September and Novem- from rejections and lack of opportunities.2 ber 2018 and ending between December 2018 and Feb- ruary 2019. The group that received the socio-emotional The Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security development modules included 6,716 job seekers from of Argentina, with the support from the Social Protec- 53 offices running 237 courses, where the control group tion and Jobs team and the Mind, Behavior, and De- covered the remaining 8,153 participants from 35 offices velopment (eMBeD) unit of the World Bank, developed with 277 courses. a behaviorally-informed intervention to improve the employability of jobless youth. Through existing training Administrative data were collected for each center four offered to beneficiaries of “Jóvenes con Más y Mejor Tra- months after the completion of the socio-emotional learn- bajo,” a national employment support program for youth, ing modules, including long-term outcomes of interest, the Ministry implemented socioemotional development such as course attendance, course finalization, take-up of workshops that allowed participants to gain the psy- additional employment services, and formal employment. cho-social capabilities to support their future success in Complementary visits to seven centers in two provinces the job search and workplace. captured positive feedback from the sessions. Results Participants of the socio-emotional However, participation in the ses- Limitations in the implementa- development modules were more sions did not lead to significantly tion may contribute to a lack of likely to register for additional ser- higher rates of course graduation definitive results. The proactivity, vices. Young people who participat- or formal employment. Members ownership, and leadership of the ed in the treatment group were five of the treatment and control groups central level team from the Ministry percentage points more likely to presented similar course comple- were instrumental to the successful enroll in further vocational training tion rates, 67 versus 64 percent, design and execution of activities. and internship placement services with no individual or office level However, the national program is offered by the employment offices. characteristics affecting these rates. partially implemented by subna- This result represents an increase of Both treatment and control groups tional authorities that deliver the 20 percent from a 25 percent reg- had a low formal employment rate introductory courses through a istration rate for the control group. up to four months after the end of network of employment offices and The results replicate the success of the courses, of around 10%. These partner institutions. Limited super- a similar intervention led by eMBeD results could signal high structural vision by the federal government in Turkey.3 barriers to the course graduation and substantial discretion by the and access to the formal labor mar- municipal one may have led to poor ket in a context of harsh economic compliance in the application of the conditions and a short exposure modules, impeding to observe an period to the effect of the modules. effect over the employment status of participants. Policy Implications Gaining socio-emotional skills can foster a change in per- These training activities provide a useful case study for poli- ceptions among young people, improving their attitudes cymakers seeking to equip adolescents with skills needed to about their abilities to support their own success. Plus, for thrive in a changing and challenging world of work: activation, educators and staff who interact motivation, flexibility, decision making, and with young people, this type of These results can have a multiplier perseverance. For this particular program, curriculum can make them feel effect. Other young people may feel implementation challenges may have fueled their work is more relevant and motivated to perform better upon partial results, when students were not encourage them to further invest exposed to the program with the depth in teaching. Finally, these results observing the impact on their peers. and frequency intended. This evidence can can have a multiplier effect. Oth- motivate policymakers to design better er young people may feel motivated to perform better coordination and oversight mechanisms and ensure program upon observing the impact on their peers. participants are able to benefit from the sessions fully. About eMBeD The Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit (eMBeD), the World Bank’s behavioral science team in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice, works closely with project teams, governments, and other partners to diagnose, design, and evaluate behaviorally informed interventions. By collaborating with a worldwide network of scientists and practitioners, the eMBeD team provides answers to important economic and social questions, and contributes to the global effort to eliminate poverty and enhance equity. Stay Connected eMBeD@worldbank.org #embed_wb worldbank.org/embed bit.ly/eMBeDNews Soci l Prot ction Jobs Pov rt Equit REFERENCES 1. The youth unemployment rate in Argentina averages 21 percent, while the average for Latin America and the Caribbean is 19 percent, according to data from the National Statistics Institute of Argentina – INDEC (2019) and the International Labor Organization – ILO (2018). 2. See our policy brief on Youth Unemployment for a broader account of psychological bottlenecks and behavioral solutions. 3. A pilot intervention in Turkey had substantial effects on the take up of several Active Labor Market services offered by the public employment agency. The results are documented here. Last Update: April 6th, 2020