Strengthening Youth Employability through Community-Based Career Development Programs in Manila, Philippines

Abstract

Purpose – This community engagement project aimed to enhance employability skills among unemployed youth in Manila through structured career development and workforce readiness programs.

Design/methods/approach – The program involved 80 youth participants aged 18–24 years. Activities included career counseling, soft-skills training, resume writing workshops, interview simulations, and industry networking sessions. Data were gathered through surveys, competency assessments, and employment tracking.

Findings – Employability competency scores increased from 57.8 to 83.6 points. Within three months after program completion, 46 participants (57.5%) secured employment or internship opportunities. Confidence in job-seeking activities improved among 88.7% of participants.

Research implications/limitations – The findings are limited to urban youth populations and a relatively short follow-up period. Broader implementation is necessary to assess scalability across different socioeconomic settings.

Originality/value – The project provides evidence that community-based career development initiatives can effectively bridge the gap between education and employment for young adults in developing urban environments.