Plan International UK and Standard Chartered renew partnership to tackle youth unemployment in Asia

Plan International UK and Standard Chartered have announced a three-year continuation of their employability partnership to equip over 6,000 marginalised young women and people with disabilities across Asia with the skills, networks and confidence they need to secure meaningful, decent work.

The programme will be implemented by Plan International in Indonesia, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and funded by Standard Chartered Foundation, as part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered – the international Bank’s global philanthropic initiative to tackle inequality by promoting greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people.

Over three years, the programme will also work with employers and policymakers to build more working environments that will foster equal opportunities for young women and people with disabilities.

According to the International Labour Organisation, 79 million young people globally are unemployed, of which 72 million are young women. In South-East Asia alone, an estimated 19 million young people are not in employment, education or training (NEET). The number is higher in East Asia, with an estimated 20 million young people NEET, and this is predicted to creep up in 2025, rising from 20.4 million in 2024 to 20.6 million this year. The gender gap also remains a concern. In South-East Asia, young women are 1.5 times more likely to be unemployed than young men.

For young people with disabilities, the barriers are even higher — UN research shows that in many countries across Asia, less than 30% are employed. Barriers like gender discrimination, lack of access to skills training and inaccessible workplaces continue to hold them back, limiting both personal and economic potential.

Rose Caldwell, CEO of Plan International UK, said: “Too many young women and people with disabilities across Asia are held back from decent work opportunities, not because of a lack of talent, but because of barriers they cannot overcome alone. By delivering Futuremakers, we’re working to break down these barriers, equipping young people with the skills they need to shape their own futures. This renewed partnership with Standard Chartered Foundation reflects our shared commitment to help thousands of young people achieve brighter, more secure futures.”

Dini Widiastuti, Executive Director of Plan Indonesia, said the program focuses on the transformation of young people, in order to help them enter the labor intensive work sector. “Our survey involving 474 employers[1] shows that in the midst of the current economic condition, companies are still recruiting new talents. However, of course they emphasized on the importance of mastering soft skills and technical skills relevant to the current job market, including analytical & critical thinking, problem solving, UI/UX, programming, and many others. This is what we want to build (through the programme), so that young people still have opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship,” said Dini at the launch of Futuremakers Youth Employability Programme in Jakarta, June 19, 2025.

Donny Donosepoetro, CEO Standard Chartered Indonesia said: ““Futuremakers is a symbol of Standard Chartered Foundation’s commitment to driving economic growth. Through this community impact programme, we aim to drive economic empowerment and employability for marginalised young women and young people with disabilities so that they can get decent employments or self-employment. In Indonesia, we set the target for more than 1,900 young people to benefit from this program.”

[1] Initial Labor Market Assessment 2025 by Plan Indonesia and Freshminds Indonesia, participated by 474 employers and 398 young people across Jakarta, Semarang, D.I. Yogyakarta, and Surabaya.