National Business Development Program is the project of SMEDA, Chief Executive Youth Employability Network Mr Shahzad Murtaza, Regional Coordinator Sindh Mr Saleem and YEN Media Coordinator MrArif have conducted 21 “non-financial advisory services for SMEs in Punjab and Sindh. More than 300 SMEs have got advisory services by the Youth Employability Network under this project.

Youth Employability Network has implemented “Global Action to Improve the Recruitment Framework of Labor Migration” (REFRAME) project in three districts of Punjab (Multan, Bahawalpur and Sialkot) in collaboration with Mera Maan (Pvt) Ltd. Project was funded by International Labour Organization (ILO). This was a pilot-phase, the model advocates the identification, development and eventual sustainability of Community Based Migrant Changemakers, who would be trained as business development service providers that can orient, guide, mentor and link potential labour migrants so that they may remain risk free, and undertake legal and safe migration.

The component of the pilot project related to YEN are as follows:

• 19 community based changemakers selected from 3 hot spot districts of Punjab to be trained and supported as Community Based Migrant Changemakers (CBMCs) in collaboration with MeraMaan Pvt Ltd.
• Development of experiential and participatory information material for use in Migrant Information Sessions (MIS)
• Training of CBMCs to enable them to hold 104 MIS in 28 union councils of 3 districts in Punjab, targeting 5700 potential labor migrants
• Period of engagement: From March 2019 – August, 2019
• Orientation sessions held in target districts to motivate youth groups and community leaders to apply for the CBMC position.
• Use of tools and established process to selection the CBMCs.
• Eight-day, two-part, residential bootcamp using a customized training module that systematically covers how safe and informed migration must be practiced in Pakistan was done by the MeraMaan (pvt) Ltd for the YEN volunteers and staff.
• Identification of ways in which the CBMCs can institutionalize this information at the district level through established institutions, e.g. TVET and skills training centers, colleges, universities, protractorate offices, and the migrant resource centers.
• Monitoring and mentoring of CBMCs.

Youth Employability Network (YEN) signed a Memorandum of Association with the Mera Maan Pvt Ltd for jointly implement SMEDA’s National Business Development Program (NBDP) for SMEs, a public-sector project of the Small & Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), Ministry of Industries & Production, and the Government of Pakistan. This project has the mandate to provide business development support, handholding and advisory to new and existing SMEs of Pakistan.
Given MeraMaan’s& Youth Employability Network high quality training for trainer’s and entrepreneurs in setting up and managing an effective Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), YEN & Mera Maan has conducted 32 impactful one-day Business Start-up & Skills Enhancement Training in selected districts across the country. Youth Employability Network has engaged 1016 SMEs in this project.

Youth Employability Network in collaboration with DAI-Tabeer has worked for the women CNIC registration campaign in district Lodhran and Multan. YEN has organized different awareness sessions and coordination meetings with stake holders. As a result, Youth Employability Network has facilitated two thousand one hundred ninety-six (2196) women for their CNIC registration in two districts.

Chief Executive officer Youth Employability Network has delivered 8 trainings on safe charity for the farmer community of Multan under CVE project of Kisan Saiban Society. The basic objective of the project was countering violent extremism through capacity building of the farmer community so that they may able to understand the concept of safe charity and do not make funds to any organizations those are blacklisted or suspicious in the country. Youth Employability Network has built the capacity of 240 farmers under this project.

Youth Employability Network has signed the MoU with WWF-Pakistan Multan team for awareness and the capacity building of the rural women on the decent work.

Youth Employability Network has competed research project with VSO with the name of Global research on Youth Issues. Youth Employability Network has done this research under the supervision of Ms Rozina (VSO Representative). YEN has completed research with the help of Key informative interviews of youth, CSO representatives, interviews of the government officials, interviews of the academia representatives, interviews of the representatives of political parties, interviews of minorities and FGDs with different stakeholders.

The National Financial Literacy Program (NFLP), a five-year program of State Bank of Pakistan-Banking Service Corporation that was initiated as from September 2017. The program aims at reaching out to the unbanked and underbanked segments of society and to provide them with the knowledge needed to make better financial decisions.

Youth Employability Network (YEN) has signed the MoU with State Bank of Pakistan Banking Service Corporation Multan for NFLP program in January 2020. Youth Employability Network is implementing this project in 10 districts (Multan, Muzaffargarh, DG Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Lodhran, Khanewal, Vehari, Sahiwal & Pak Patan)of Punjab. YEN has engaged forty-four thousand eight hundred two (44802) people in financial literacy program till 30thJune 2021. Youth Employability Network has organized 1361 training sessions of NFLP in these ten targeted districts, there are 74% females and 26% males’ participation in these NFLP training sessions by Youth Employability Network.

Youth Employability Network (YEN) has successfully completed community outreach project in six targeted districts of Pakistan, this project has been implemented in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jehlum, Mardan and Mirpur (AJK). The project was funded by International Center for Migrant Policy Development (ICMPD). Youth Employability network has engaged 10 staff members and 60 volunteer community representatives in sixty villages of the six districts.
Youth Employability Network (YEN) has organized 70 awareness session on safe, orderly and regular migration in this project. Ten sessions were organized on-ground while 60 sessions were organized through Zoom due to COVID-19 situation in the country. Project was started with a strong strategy to reach maximum people in the high migration trending districts. YEN has identified sixty villages with high migration trend and 60 community representatives in six districts Jhelum, Mardan, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Mirpur were identified from those respective villages to successfully execute the project. Staff and community representatives were oriented through an orientation workshop to understand the objective of the project.
Youth Employability Network has made a successful mobilization in the community; our volunteers and staff have distributed 26856(23948 were distributed among males and 2908 were distributed among females) flyer/brochure/posters in the sixty villages. Apart from this; the mobilization was also done through social media platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp groups. In community outreach sessions Youth Employability Network has engaged 9562 people in awareness sessions on safe, orderly and regular migration, these sessions were conducted by the counsellors of MRCs. 882 people have physically attended the on-ground sessions, 2157 people have joined the sessions through Facebook live streaming and 6523 people have joined sessions through Zoom.

Youth Employability Network has signed Memorandum of Understanding with migrant resource center (MRC) for awareness raising on safe, orderly and regular migration. Youth Employability Network has organized online awareness sessions, meetings and conferences for the wider spread of information regarding safe migration process, pre departure orientation for potential migrants, guidance for the migrants during COVID19 and also informed people about the disadvantages of illegal migration.

The National Financial Literacy Program (NFLP), a five-year program of State Bank of Pakistan-Banking Service Corporation that was initiated as from September 2017. The program aims at reaching out to the unbanked and underbanked segments of society and to provide them with the knowledge needed to make better financial decisions.

Youth Employability Network (YEN) has signed the MoU with State Bank of Pakistan Banking Service Corporation Bahawalpur for NFLP program in December 2020. Youth Employability Network is implementing this project in 3 districts (Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar & Rahimyar Khan) of Punjab. YEN has engaged five thousand seven hundred eighty-seven (5787) people in financial literacy program till 30th June 2021. There are 54% females and 46% males’ participation in these NFLP training sessions by Youth Employability Network.

Chief Executive Officer Youth Employability Network has delivered sixteen capacity building training to the village peace Committees under SANJH Pakistan project on countering violent extremism. The objectives of the training were to capacitate village peace committees for understanding diversity, peaceful coexistence, peaceful conflict resolution process and role of village peace committees for peace and harmony in the society. 480 village peace committee members from 16 different villages have participated in this project.

Youth employability Network successfully completed the capacity building training program for religious leaders and educationist in Karachi. More than 50 religious & academic scholars have participated in this project. The capacity building training program was based on the theme of CVE (Peace, intersect & interfaith harmony, tolerance, critical thinking, diversity and acceptance).

Youth Employability Network (YEN) has successfully completed the local level disengagement and rehabilitation project with the support of BEST-Pak and funding of United Nation Development Program (UNDP). YEN has successfully completed the skill training and employment support program for the 200 selected youth (100 Females & 100 males) in Multan with the skill training program in its skill training institutions The Mux Institute and The Learners. Local Level Designment & Rehabilitation project aims to build resilience against violent extremism in local community, especially in the vulnerable and at-risk youth. YEN hasengaged 200 in five different skill training programs including Fashion Designing & Dress Making, Beautician, computer application, Mobile repairing, Motorbike Repairing. Specialized instructors were engaged to train trainees over the period of three months. Regular skill classes were conducted in two different campuses. Employability Network (YEN) also conducted employment skill program of the engaged trainees. YEN was engaged to meet all the component of youth employment support including Basic education and soft skill training program, Small Business start-up & Management Training, Delivery of key persuasive messages by religious & academic scholars and exposure visits of the trainees

Youth Employability Network completed the project for engaging and training 200 Government official on Rights Sensitive Governance in 8 different trainings in collaboration with BEST-Pak & UNDP.
Youth Employability Network has engaged participants from different government departments including Social Welfare Department, Education Department, Local Governments, Health Department, Literacy, TEVTA, Population welfare, MDA, Bahauddin Zakariya University, District court, Punjab Police,& State Bank of Pakistan.
The representatives of these departmentshave participated in these trainings under LLDR Project and appreciated the concept of LLDR for at risk youth in Pakistan.

Youth employability Network successfully completed the capacity building training program for religious (belonging to different sects and religions) in Multan. More than 30 religious leaders have participated in these training programs. The capacity building training program was based on the theme of CVE (Peace, intersect & interfaith harmony, tolerance, critical thinking, diversity and acceptance).