Governments and aid donors spend billions of dollars on active labour market programs and public works programs to improve the long term employability of youth by providing training, work placements and job searching assistance, and offer social protection through the creation of temporary employment opportunities. But how effective are these programs? In this public seminar at ANU on 20 September 2018, Chris Hoy presented the preliminary results of an impact evaluation of the largest employment program in Papua New Guinea - the Urban Youth Employment Program.