Working with and through a global network of partner institutions, YouthBuild International is organizing an international ‘first and second chance’ system, with core design and performance standards. YouthBuild programs reach and engage young people who have been excluded from the ‘first chance’ opportunities of education, training, job placement and entrepreneurship. This same network provides a ‘second chance’ to young people who confront numerous barriers to their development including health issues, violence, gang involvement, incarceration, forced migration, homelessness, family poverty and substance abuse. The program model equips youth with the necessary human, social and financial capital to convert first chance opportunities and resources into viable livelihoods for themselves and their families.

These young people who are often ‘written off’ by the society at large, have, through their participation in YouthBuild, transformed their lives, created tangible community assets, and evolved to become recognized leaders, successful students, and inspired, productive workers and entrepreneurs.

YBI focuses its work in two areas:

1. YouthBuild Program Adaptation and Replication - Consultation, training, coaching, resource development, materials adaptation, knowledge and data management to support the planning, adaptation, and implementation of locally operated YouthBuild programs and scaled networks of national and regional YouthBuild programs. These services are concentrated on building the capacity of local, national and regional partners who have brought the YouthBuild program to their countries, and adapted the model for local implementation. These partners may be NGOs, global development institutions, governments, bi and multi-lateral donor organizations, and private sector employers. Each local implementer and national intermediary is licensed to use the YouthBuild name.

YBI replication and consulting activities are now unfolding in 12 countries. In Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, South Africa, Israel, Bosnia, Serbia and Scotland, the YouthBuild model is moving through a dynamic process of adaptation, implementation and scaling.

2. Capacity Building for Institutions, NGOs, and Youth Workers - Consultation, training, youth livelihood systems design, materials development, assessment, research, and other capacity building services for governments, multi-lateral institutions, schools, NGOs, and youth networks. These services aim to strengthen policies, programs and practices across the international youth sector.

YouthBuild International has been called on to work with program and investment partners on the following consistent group of challenges:

• How to build and/or reconfigure existing youth employment systems so young people can navigate their course through skills training, basic education, and internships to permanent employment.
• How to build employment/skills training systems that will effectively reach, engage, train, prepare and place the hardest to reach unemployed youth in employment or entrepreneurship.
• How to link young people with no previous orientation or linkages to the marketplace to lending and customized business development services, and ties-in to value chain opportunities that are consistent with YouthBuild training tracks.
• How to build and sustain scaled employment networks that provide young people applied training and leadership development opportunities that are aligned with market demand, while creating tangible community assets that are aligned with local community demand.

Through partnerships with global institutions, including the ImagineNations Group, Plan International, Catholic Relief Services, Citigroup, Education Development Center, FIFA/streetfootballworld, and USAID, YBI is consulting to employment and youth entrepreneurship initiatives on four continents, in such diverse locations as Haiti, Serbia, West Bank/Gaza, Vietnam, India and Timor Leste.