The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Philippines just as Opportunity 2.0 commenced start-up in 2020. This potentially changed many of the assumptions upon which the program was built. While adapting and realigning quickly to an online mode of working and new conditions for OSY, the program team were well aware that there would be longer-lasting consequences of the pandemic.
Supported by program partner Accenture, the program conducted a study on ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Opportunities for Out-of-School Youth in the Philippines.’ This research utilized innovative social listening capabilities to perform automated web content analysis on thousands of social media posts and Philippine news sites to provide insight on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic opportunities for OSY. This digital analysis was combined with desk research and interviews of companies as well as Philippine agencies supporting employment.