Implementing JSCs in refugee hosting areas

Table of Contents

Activities, stakeholders and guidelines

Implementing JSCs in refugee hosting areas

Practical tips and guidelines on key activities and stakeholders involved

Click on one activity below to see detailed guidelines

Stakeholders involved
JSC facilitators, refugee and host community members, (I)NGOs, community-based organizations, refugee- and youth-led organizations, training providers

Guidelines
The target age range is usually 16-25; however, as refugees are likely to have had their education interrupted and delayed, the range can be extended to 18-34, as occurred in Egypt. The methodology is also relevant for adults looking to re-train.
JSCs usually target new graduates who have tried to find jobs without success and are in a position to dedicate all their time to an intensive job-search process. The methodology was eminently suitable for application in academic and training contexts, and among students and recent graduates who were faced with a challenging labour market.
Having young people with the same or similar skill sets makes it easier to foster peer-to-peer support, which will help in exchanging relevant experiences, tips and insights about potential employers and (sub)sectors.
A small group size (16 people per group) supports the development of a close rapport between participants and enables individual support from facilitators.
The peer-to-peer format was particularly well suited to PROSPECTS, as it brought young people from refugee and host community backgrounds together to work through challenges and offer mutual support in the process. Working collectively to overcome common challenges also served to strengthen social cohesion between groups.

Stakeholders involved
JSC facilitators, refugee and host community members, (I)NGOs, community-based organizations, refugee- and youth-led organizations, training providers
Guidelines
A typical JSC programme includes two phases:
The first phase is a two-to-three-week intensive group phase, during which each club member is supported through activation measures, peer-to-peer support and other behavioural methodologies to acquire a range of hard and soft job search skills, such as identifying job opportunities, completing a CV or writing a good application letter, practising good interview skills, and dealing with potentially stressful work situations.
The second phase is a three-month follow-up support phase. After the group phase, the clubs continue to provide a support network of young people in similar situations, where successes can be shared, in a spirit of mutual learning. Facilitators play a key role in maintaining momentum behind the clubs through regular points of contact and exchange.
JSC is highly adaptable and open to sector-specific applications. This is evident from adaptations for the digital economy (in Kenya and Egypt) and the green economy (in Jordan), whereby young people were provided with tailored guidance on how to search and apply for jobs in the related sectors. A sector-based approach will also bring together young people with similar skill sets, thus enabling exchange of relevant tips and insight. [link to Jordan case study]
Country contexts dictated where and how the clubs were set up. For instance, JSC requires internet access for the modules on online job portals. In Uganda, limited smartphone ownership and limited or intermittent mobile network coverage in rural areas meant the JSCs needed to be organized in a space where participants could access the internet, tablets and/or computers. In contrast, in Jordan, internet and wireless infrastructure were more readily available to individuals, owing to good 4G/5G coverage and high smartphone ownership among both refugees and host community members. Venues were therefore less dependent on Wi-Fi and computers, as participants could generally use their own devices.
Training times will need to be tailored based on distance and ease of transport, and to avoid potential conflicts with other commitments. For example, in Jordan, this was particularly the case for female participants, who cited competing family obligations. The target age range (16–25) can also mean that there are potential conflicts with school and/or training times.

Stakeholders involved
JSC facilitators, refugee and host community members, (I)NGOs, community-based organizations, refugee- and youth-led organizations, training providers
Guidelines
In some cases, the programme incorporates regular follow-up after the clubs conclude. This helps measure employment outcomes and collect information on challenges encountered. This feedback mechanism allowed the programme to introduce the clubs as a response mechanism.
If a sector-based approach is used, it is important to verify that jobs in formal employment are also open to refugees. In some countries, certain occupations are closed to non-national workers. Aligning sector choices to labour market governance also avoids raising young refugees’ expectations regarding careers that they are not legally able to pursue.
While it is up to the JSC participants themselves to navigate the job-search process on their own, using the skills they have gained through the clubs, having up-to-date information on laws and policies is important for a well-informed job-search process.
Referrals from one service to another should be possible for participants who realize that they are “on the wrong track”. This might be the case for young people who, when exploring their interests and capacities in the JSCs, realize they are better suited to self-employment. In such cases, referrals to business development services can be good practice.
During the follow-up phase, facilitators play a key role in maintaining momentum behind the clubs by providing regular points of contact and exchange, whether through in-person meet-ups, WhatsApp exchanges, or other ways of connecting that are suited to the local context. The clubs continue to provide a support network of young people in similar situations, where successes can be shared alongside challenges, in a spirit of mutual learning.

View all activities