Teen Channel Programme and Ek Mouka Employability: CAP Foundation

This presentation of the work of the Indian foundation CAP includes a model for employability, adapted into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and implemented by different international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) including Plan International Egypt. It was chosen as a cross-regional model for youth employment programming. The employability model includes what is called "Teen Channel Program" (part of a programme called Ek Mouka) that links learning and livelihood for adolescents at risk (out of school, in school, and post high school). The presentation was distributed to attendees at the Regional United Nations Development Group (R/UNDG) Capacity Building Workshop on Programming for Young People in the Arab States/ MENA Region Istanbul, Turkey, December 3-7 2012.


The mission of CAP is "to build safer, healthier and productive communities of young people capable of supporting self-directed growth and positive citizenship" through its work as an end-to-end community-based solutions provider in linking quality learning and sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable communities of children and young people. It works through public-private partnerships that contribute to long-term and sustainable livelihood development benefiting the difficult-to-reach sections of young people.


This Teen Channel programme model for 13 - 18 year olds has the following components, delivered through community learning centres:

• Academic certification
• Life skills
• Basic computer skills&
• Spoken English (when applied within English-speaking India)
• Career exploration
• Workplace readiness
• Part-time placements/ apprenticeship / job shadowing
• Business mentor network
• Individual youth learning portfolio

The strategies of adaptability to teens is described as "What it means for the Teens?

• Flexible timings
• Life-work-education balance
• Learning at one’s own pace – ranging from 6 months to 2 years 
• Informed multiple options
• Space for participation"

Its post-high school training can include work that is college preparatory, vocational preparatory, or occupational preparatory. For example, vocational preparatory work can include a 2-year certification with vocational specialisation along with the skills and preparation listed above.

The Ek Mouka - Employability Skills Training programme for 18+ year olds focuses on: aspirational learning delivered in a youth-friendly environment; being a feeder for higher education; and doing interest-matched marketing of skilled young people in order to deliver participants with employability skill development, including participation of businesses, setting them in growth-oriented pathways. This is done through 3-4 months of training on skills, placement support, and contact with a business mentoring network and an alumni network. Core skills include literacy, numeracy, spoken English (in India), customer relations and entrepreneurship training, life skills, and computer literacy training followed by sector training including information technology, hospitality, fashion, health care, and others.