Training to raise unemployed youth's work commitment in Tianjin

Securing sustained employment for unemployed youth depends on the youth's work commitment, which would require training for the youth's soft skills. However, training for the youth has not been impressively effective and the effectiveness would hinge on the youth's need for training. Such a need is likely to stem from the youth's experience of powerlessness. To examine the possibility, a survey collected data from 249 unemployed youths in Tianjin, China. Results show that the youth's powerlessness was a significant condition raising the contribution of soft skill training to work commitment. This conditioning effect was valuable because neither soft skill training nor powerlessness manifested a significant main effect on work commitment. The results imply the suitability of providing soft skill training to alienated unemployed youth to elevate their work commitment. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.