Dear Reader,

For this month's issue, our spotlight is on youth. We present to you two recently released reports that provide some insightful observation on the state of youth today, in terms of their share in the population and labor market. Our director, Annette Francis breaks down the report for us and concludes how development sector, government, policymakers and philanthropist need to join hands to secure the future of the youth.

Moving forward, in 'Voices from the Ground' section, one of our teammates shares her on-ground working experience and highlights the importance of volunteer engagement. Read ahead to know the 5 best practices to have a long-lasting and fruitful relationship with volunteers.

'In the News' section focuses on the initiatives that are being undertaken by the government and non-profit organizations to skill youth from marginalized sections of the society.

What’s the future of employment for India’s youth?

The recently released 'Global Employment Trends for Youth 2022' report presents an important observation about how youth in the age group of 15-24 years old experienced much higher unemployment when compared to those above 25. Annette Francis - Director, Skilling, Livelihood and Entrepreneurship deconstructs this pertinent report for us and highlights some sustainable pathways for future.

Lessons from Ground Zero : Volunteer Engagement 101

At Pratham, most of the leadership team members started their journeys as volunteers and are now leading large scale programs across the country. Volunteers are the backbone of community-based organizations and play a critical role in sustaining the organizations, building relationships within the communities and supporting on-ground programs. Having worked with over 1 lakh volunteers, one of our team members lists down some of the best practices for volunteer engagement.