The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) engages marginalized and vulnerable youth and women as environmental stewards in Bangladesh. The program upskills the youth of Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar districts through five months of residential training, and a one-month internship, to strengthen leadership, environmental stewardship, and suitable employment skills. The goal of the YCC program is to increase sustainable livelihood opportunities for the youth and provide mentorship to the youth networks to ensure that natural resources are continued to be conserved within communities.

Motto: Engage, Learn, Serve, Lead

Vision: Vibrant, healthy, and skilled youth acting in their communities to conserve natural resources and earn a sustainable living.

Mission: Build skill and leadership of youth to empower and improve livelihoods and be environmental stewards in their communities through experiential learning.

Target Participants:

YCC Bangladesh engages school-dropped-out underprivileged Bangladeshi youths aged between 18 and 24 years, who have not received any skills training before. The program ensures the participation of women in all stages of the training. The targeted areas for the YCC participants are Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts. 

Gender integration in YCC

YCC included a module on gender equality and principles of gender equity in the training curriculum. YCC promotes and helps the participation of young women in the YCC Youth Network interventions, internships, job fairs, event celebration initiatives, jobs, and entrepreneurship. YCC ensures the participation of at least 40% female trainees in every cohort. 

Employment status of the trainees

YCC 1st and 2nd cohorts finished their training in January and July 2022, respectively. 64% of YCC graduates are currently employed (as of September 2022). The graduates are working in the nurseries (seedlings production), mushroom cultivation, driving, tailoring, and NGO sectors.