Prior to PROSPECTS, the ILO office in Egypt used the Job Search Club (JSC) methodology to support Egyptian youth who were facing difficulties in their job-search process. This was done in government-run youth centres in partnership with Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS), within which facilitators had been previously trained under other ILO projects. Once they completed training, JSC graduates had the opportunity to participate in skills training that aligned with the career interests they had discovered during the JSCs. In consultation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and digital labour platforms, PROSPECTS also developed a skills training programme for refugee and Egyptian youth, focusing on skills in web-based, cloud-computing services. Read more about JSC in Egypt. 

In Iraq, JSCs were piloted in partnership with the MOYS youth directorates, TVET providers and career development centres within universities. PROSPECTS had already supported these entities to implement career guidance, Work-based learning and enterprise development training for young people. Staff within them were already trained as trainers and familiar with ILO methodologies, such as Start and Improve your Business (SIYB). In some cases, SIYB trainers became JSC facilitators, providing a natural link between PROSPECTS activities. Read more about JSC in Iraq.

PROSPECTS in Jordan adapted the JSC model from the programme in Egypt and applied it in partnership with UNICEF, using Ministry of Youth centres as spaces for young people in which to convene the clubs. The version adapted for Jordan took into consideration labour market governance, particularly policies governing refugees’ access to specific trades and occupations. This included work-permit processes, sectors that were “closed” to foreigners and regulations to register a business. Building on UNICEF’s strong partnership with the Ministry of Youth, the latter was able to be directly engaged in the adaptation and facilitator training. This reinforced the Ministry’s ownership of the methodology and it subsequently endorsed JSC as a method to deliver the aims of Jordan’s National Youth Strategy. Partnership with UNHCR expanded the methodology through the Ecorama Hub, a UNHCR community space in the municipality of Irbid.  Read more about youth engagement in Jordan. 

JSCs were introduced within the National Career Guidance Framework and integrated into Offices of Career Services in TVET centres and higher education institutions to help graduates transition into relevant jobs. A digital skills training programme was rolled out by PROSPECTS, and JSCs were used to support graduates who had reported difficulty transitioning into relevant digital jobs. The JSC methodology was tailored to the job-search process in digital sectors and included modules on looking for work on online employment platforms, and awareness of risks and opportunities associated with digital work. This tailored form of support provided by the JSC saw higher rates of employment among its participants (67 per cent), compared with contexts where there was no sector focus. As a result of this success, the digital JSC model was included in the National Career Guidance Framework and public employment service officers were trained to support its rollout nationally.

JSC methodology was incorporated as a component of rural employment services, making the most of job centres and mobile employment services to profile potential candidates in refugee-hosting areas like the Isingiro district. This allowed integration with established staff and youth cohorts, building on existing infrastructure and partnerships that were used to establish job centres. JSCs served as a pathway to refer participants to a range of other ILO-supported training in the area, such as TVET, digital skills training, apprenticeships and employability skills. 

Based on successful experiences in Egypt and Jordan, ILO PROSPECTS Lebanon decided to introduce JSCs to equip vulnerable young host community members and refugees with job search skills. Preparatory work began in 2025 to launch JSCs in UNHCR’s Community Development Centres (CDCs) and TVET schools in Akkar, Bekaa, Beirut, and the North.