YouLead is all about youth. We are a legacy organisation of USAID's youth employment and entrepreneurship support, and successor to the IESC implemented project, which also received support from the European union and SDC in its maiden journey of seven years, to bridge the gap between existing youth skills and growing Sri Lankan market demands. YouLead is now an independent youth focused social venture in Sri Lanka, building on its legacy of youth development. YouLead welcomes opportunities to collaborate with stakeholders in the public, private and development sectors to enable young women and men to become agents of positive change in their own futures and in their communities. We aim to continue creating an implementing innovative, youth centred, and youth led initiatives that give young people greater agency over the decisions that impact their lives and greater influence in their schools and communities.
External link for YouLead
315 Vauxhall Street
10th Floor, Aitken Spence Tower II
Colombo 02, Western Province 02000, LK
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TRACE Thank USAID’s youth employment and entrepreneurship project, YouLead for providing furniture to kickstart the TRACE Co-Working Space Project Island wide to empower the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sri Lanka #tracecommunity #YouLead #USAID
YouLead has improved the future trajectories of over 45,000 youth across Sri Lanka in the last seven years. On this #internationalyouthday learn about YouLead's impact here: https://lnkd.in/gC6QQzqi #youthimpact #youthcareers #vocationalskills #youthentrepreneurship #youthemployment #womenempowerment
USAID's youth employment and entrepreneurship project YouLead closes its current chapter this month having improved the future trajectories of thousands of Sri Lankan youth in the past seven years. This week the YouLead team shared its innovative behavior change outreach approach to accelerating the acceptance and adoption of project initiated tools and resources, with other USAID funded projects so that they might continue to build and improve on its foundation. Soon YouLead will be reborn to continue its mission of youth empowerment, bridging the gap between the current skills of Sri Lankan youth and the skills demanded in a competitive economy. Stay tuned! #behaviorchange #innovation #marketing #communications #youthempowerment #skilldevelopment #youthentreprenuership #learning #improvement
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April 30, 2024 marked the completion of IESC’s EU & USAID-funded Tourism Resilience in Sri Lanka Project (TRP). Through this three-year project, IESC supported tourism SMEs to make Sri Lankan tourism more sustainable, innovative, and resilient to shocks, while simultaneously increasing workforce and enterprise capacity. As we reflect on this project, let's celebrate TRP’s milestones and achievements! One of many accomplishments under TRP was designing and delivering Sri Lanka’s first ever 300-km network of hiking and walking trails across the country’s central highlands and tea country, The Pekoe Trail. This unique signature experience serves as a one-of-a-kind and high potential tourism activity for Sri Lanka. A separate destination management organization was registered through TRP as The Pekoe Trail Company (Gte) Ltd, and will continue to manage, maintain, and market the trail, ensuring its sustainability beyond the project. Through TRP, IESC supported more than 350 tourism SMEs through a combination of cash grants, an incubator, training, and capacity building. Notably, TRP provided small grants to 80 tourism SMEs to help them survive multiple economic shocks to the tourism industry, and to develop new or improved products and services for travelers visiting The Pekoe Trail. TRP also engaged closely with tourism SMEs, their employees, and youth with potential to join the workforce through training and incubation programs. These activities equipped businesses and employees with essential skills in work readiness, health and safety, and digital literacy, addressing critical gaps in the market and enhancing the competitiveness of smaller businesses through innovation and diversification. The work that TRP set in place will continue to support sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka and inspire a more resilient future for tourism. IESC wishes to thank our partners and stakeholders – particularly the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and Maldives, United States Agency for International Development, and the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance – for their dedication and commitment!
'Trail of Opportunity', the first of several forums to match private sector demand with #ThePekoeTrail commercial opportunities, took place in Kandy this week. This well attended 2-day roundtable event enabled participants to explore the unique commercial opportunities of the Trail and how their organizations might capitalize on them. The highlight was the walk on stage 2 of the Trail from Deltota to Loolkandura estate - a vivid demonstration of the hospitality, curated experiences, services, F&B, retail and give-back opportunities that exist along the 300km Trail. This forum was initiated by YouLead's Tourism Resilience Project (TRP) with a workshop facilitated by GOOD LIFE X. The Pekoe Trail has captured the world's attention and is among the most visible Sri Lankan tourism experiences in global travel media. It was recently recognized in Nat Geo's Best of the World - 20 coolest travel adventures for 2024. #srilankatourism #businessdevelopment #productdevelopment #sponsorships #licensing #CSR #conservation #hospitality #food #curatedexperiences #sustainabletravel
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Happy International Women’s Day! Members of IESC’s team in Sri Lanka strike the #InspireInclusion pose. Through USAID’s youth employment and entrepreneurship project, YouLead, they support women through entrepreneurship training, career guidance, and skills development activities. #IWD2024
Over the past seven years, YouLead has touched the lives of young women across the country, bridging the gap between their skills and market demand. YouLead’s inclusive focus has resulted in over 45,000 mostly rural Sri Lankan women participating in its Career Guidance, vocational skills and entrepreneurship development programs and interventions. YouLead is USAID’s youth employment and entrepreneurship project, which is also supported by the #europeanunion and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. #iwd2024 #womenempowerment #womenentrepreneurs #womenchangemakers #inclusivegrowth #inclusiveemployment
Unlocking new opportunities for youth in the growing Quick Service Restaurant sector, Gamma Pizzakraft Lanka Private Limited and USAID's youth employment and entrepreneurship project, YouLead, inaugurated the tenth vocational training kitchen at the Seeduwa Vocational Training Center on 5th March. This special facility caters exclusively to youth with disabilities, helping them gain access to skills training and jobs in a growing industry. These commercial training kitchens use a curriculum aligned to global best practices and vocational instructors trained with USAID assistance. Upon successful completion of a six-month course, which includes on-the-job training, students will receive a National Vocational Qualification Level 3 certification and job opportunities at Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Burger King, and Popeyes. #vocationaltraining #jobcreation #quickservicerestaurant #vocationaleducation #youthemployment #pwd #commercialkitchen
Hot on the heals of its top 20 world ranking, #ThePekoeTrail has just been voted #TheBestOfTheWorld readers choice winner! This popular global vote is yet another validation of The Pekoe Trail’s high potential to open up a new segment of eco-conscious travelers to Sri Lanka. https://lnkd.in/gQ-bcmm9 The Pekoe Trail is developed by #eufunded Tourism Resilience project, with support from USAID. #natgeo #srilankatourism #srilankatravel #bestof2024 #ecofriendlytravel
Sri Lanka is set to attract a trending new international tourist segment looking for a world-class nature-based experience in Sri Lanka’s tea country, as National Geographic ranks The Pekoe Trail among "BEST OF THE WORLD 2024" Top 20 Travel Experiences! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eS5M6NfG The Pekoe Trail is made possible through funding from the #europeanunion, additional support from USAID and enabled by the close collaboration of Sri Lanka Tourism, the tea industry and plantation companies along with several state agencies. #worldclass #srilankatourism #wellnesstravel #wellbeing #natgeo #tourismdevelopment #tourismmarketing #traveltrends2024