The Digital Innovation Challenge

Context

As of 2021, adolescents constituted 18 percent of the country’s population. Despite the presence of a promising young population and steady economic growth, adolescents face significant challenges in realizing their potential. Youth unemployment is the second highest in the Asia Pacific region and is caused by a skills mismatch and limited awareness of job opportunities. 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, curiosity, and lifelong learning are crucial to thrive in changing future workplaces. However, according to the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, only 26% of 15-year-old students in Indonesia demonstrated basic creative thinking skills, while just 5% showed proficiency in higher-level creative thinking. 24% of Indonesian adolescents aged 15-19 reported that they have not had access to education, employment, or training, and both boys and girls reported lacking skills in decision-making, digital literacy, and negotiation—gaps that may impact their job prospects, life choices, self-esteem, and risk management.

Solution

The Innovation Challenge: Generasi Terampil is a UNICEF-led adolescent skills development and empowerment program launched in 2019 to support adolescents in 21st-century skills, digital skills, and entrepreneurship to co-create innovative solutions that address issues that concern them in their communities. It targets adolescents, including those from marginalized backgrounds, who are currently pursuing their studies through formal secondary schools, vocational schools, religious schools, and community learning centres. By providing them with the space to explore new ideas and create solutions with the support of mentors, the program aims to empower young people, particularly girls, as they navigate non-traditional areas of employment, such as in STEM fields.

The program is designed in phases, starting with teacher and mentor training on how to work with adolescents, especially girls, and those with disabilities. Next, adolescents participate in a series of workshops to identify problems concerning them and propose digital solution ideas. Issues can range from education, bullying and violence against women, environment, health, climate change, and mental health. Selected teams undergo more intensive skills training by industry expert mentors to develop solution prototypes, gaining 21st-century, digital, and entrepreneurial skills along the way. During the intensive skills training, they receive training and mentorship to develop skills and their solution prototypes, as well as a career preparation workshop. Finalists get the opportunity to present their innovations to government, private sector, and peer audiences during a ‘Demo Day.’

To support inclusive participation, the program provided internet access, temporary devices, and gender-sensitive materials. It also engaged both in- and out-of-school youth, involved teachers and parents, and emphasized coordination with sub-national governments. UNICEF aims to integrate the programme into formal education systems and scale it nationally.

Impact

Since starting as a pilot project in 2019, the Innovation Challenge: Generasi Terampil program has reached more than 20,000 adolescents in 2024 across three provinces in Indonesia: DKI Jakarta, Central Java, and East Java. Participants demonstrated improved 21st-century skills such as project management, as well as digital skills such as design thinking, coding, and UI/UX. Data from the 2021 program demonstrated promising short-term gains in 21st-century skills, with 57.6% of adolescents reporting improved competencies, particularly in communication, creativity, and problem-solving. Notably, male and younger participants reported higher confidence in tool use, while female and older adolescents showed stronger proficiency. Coding skills improved for over half the participants, though gender disparities in collaboration and communication gains persisted. The program showed differentiated impacts by gender, age, and school type. However, no follow-up data exists beyond 2021, and the long-term effects on education and employment outcomes remain unknown. A longitudinal evaluation is needed to assess sustained impact and program effectiveness over time.

Analysis

This program addresses key educational barriers in Indonesia, particularly limited access to 21st-century and digital skills among adolescents. By targeting both in- and out-of-school youth and incorporating inclusive tools such as internet access and gender-sensitive materials, the program supports more equitable participation.

However, observed disparities in impact by gender, age, and school type suggest deeper structural issues. Female adolescents reported lower gains in collaboration and communication, while adolescents from CLCs reported improved confidence and proficiency. Existing evaluations have not explored the underlying causes of these disparities, highlighting the need for more nuanced, disaggregated assessments in future studies.

While the program has shown strong promise, its reliance on a single partner platform and a narrowly framed digital skills curriculum may limit scalability. For further scaling and integration into the formal education system, the content can be diversified for use across varied education settings and with multiple partners. The program’s phased structure, use of local mentors, integration with existing school systems, and provision of inclusive support make it replicable across educational settings with adequate digital infrastructure and trained personnel. However, implementation in fragile contexts, such as conflict-affected areas, may present significant challenges.