Brief: Life Skills for Success Common Approach Evidence Synthesis

Young people from the poorest and most deprived contexts can find it difficult to transition to work as they lack the required transferable life skills. Without access to decent work, youth risk falling into poverty, early marriage, and harmful labour, which limits their opportunities and prospects.

Save the Children has developed a set of interventions, internally referred to as Life Skills for Success Common Approach, to address this gap by equipping adolescents and youth with five components of essential transferable life skills: positive self-concept, self-control, communication, social skills, and higher-order thinking. It is a transformative approach to enhancing the 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 and 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 (AY). 

In 2024, Save the Children specialists decided to identify, collate, review and analyze all the evaluations of completed Save the Children’s LS4S programmes from the past years aimed at creating economic opportunities for adolescents and youth, to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge base. There was a comprehensive synthesis of 13 Save the Children programs across 12 countries which provided critical insights into how life skills training can help youth break the cycle of poverty and secure a better future. This  evidence brief provides an overview and summary of the longer evidence synthesis.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 summarised in this evidence brief:
• Save the Children’s 𝗟𝗦𝟰𝗦 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 equips young people with essential life skills: positive self-concept, self-control, communication, social skills, and higher-order thinking.
• 𝟳𝟲% of 6,400 youth in 𝗨𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮’𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 found jobs after training, and in 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹, youth employment surged from 𝟮𝟱.𝟱% to an impressive 𝟵𝟲.𝟴%.
• 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, and 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 were critical to success.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲?
✅ A comprehensive approach integrating life skills, vocational training, and entrepreneurship
✅ Mentorship and financial literacy
✅ Strong collaborations between local governments, communities, and employers.

But the report also reveals the challenges faced, including 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 and 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗼-𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀.

This synthesis not only showcases positive results but also offers recommendations for 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 and 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, including the need for 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 to reach marginalized youth, especially in crisis and remote settings; stronger efforts for 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻; and addressing systemic barriers. The full evidence synthesis available for Save the Children staff only can be found here