Baromètre: More Efforts Still Needed!

Strategies put in place by government and her development partners to curb youth unemployment, which is usually an uphill task for most systems, is said to be paying off. The Special Youth Plan prescribed by the Head of State, for instance, has so far financed over 14,800 projects and generated close to 44,500 direct jobs; going by reports from the ministry. However, the immensity of the problem demands redoubled efforts to contain it in the short, medium and long terms. As government counts her gains from diverse projects and programmes geared towards limiting the youth unemployment gap, it pays to continue pushing forward. For, children are being born every day and as they grow up, they need jobs to live and let others live. In fact, it is an issue that needs continuous and never-ending efforts. As a matter of fact, it is an open secret that joblessness and or working below capacity are usually complex problems that many governments grapple with and the situation usually becomes preoccupying when it concerns youth on whom every responsible government depends for today and thereafter. More so because they constitute the majority of the workforce by virtue of their youthfulness and possess the ability to be creative. This is why ascertaining youth employability is a source of emotional and even social stability, talk less of political. An issue that must not be tampered with and should be updated constantly. Cognisant of the stubborn fact that there cannot be a one-fit-all strategy to combat youth unemployment, given the complexity of the youthful population, their cultural backgrounds, trainings and even aspirations, the powers that be must thus always show proof of innovation. Aligning the education sector with the changing dynamics of the job market, ensuring skills development, in both formal and informal setups, and ascertaining adequate coaching as well as having a robust support for entrepreneurship, absolutely need to be considered. In a digital age like now where no sector is indifferent to the mutations, government can capitalise on its strengths, while strongly minimising its downside, to build a youth capable of navigating the exigencies. For instance, youth with a solid understanding of digital tools and platforms are more likely to find employment across a range of sectors than those who do not. As government draws fully to tackle the challenge, it must not lose sight o...