WORKSHOP H - YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
Education programmes focused
on vocation training and in providing a common-sense approach to life was favoured. Work experience and apprenticeship programmes form an important part of this approach. The impact of unemployment
upon individuals can be very hard indeed, both economically and emotionally. The education system must also
focus on more vocational type of training. Job specific training is of vital importance, not just for increasing the employability of young people but also for filling specialist roles within the economy. The Australian model, in which 40
per cent of the young people go into industry-specific training after school, and the German model in which dual education between school and industry is provided, could be adopted. Special attention needs to be
paid on young women who are unemployed as they often leave education earlier than men in some societies.
Youngsters were said to often
aspire to jobs in the government sector even though there are no vacancies. Having failed in securing a job in this sector, they become frustrated. The private sector has to play an important role in creating jobs.
Quality of growth It was noted that strong economic development statistics and rising education levels have been registered by African countries in the last decade but there were also complaints that this growth has not created many jobs while populations have been rising rapidly. Projections show continued growth in the numbers of young people across that continent. Finding jobs for educated young
people will reduce the social tension that arises when countries have high levels of educated but unemployed youths. A warning was sounded that
youth unemployment levels are actually higher than the statistics show because many young people are in unstable or informal jobs or are not recorded as being either
employed or unemployed. In developing countries, there are usually no government support programmes to help these young people. The gender issue was raised as
it was noted that in many developing countries girls leave education sooner than boys and they frequently end up as unpaid labour in family businesses. They then receive no training.
The economic and social environment The primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. The global employment situation
has been in a dire state since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2007, and is unlikely to get better due to the continuing sovereign debt concerns in Europe and the overall slowdown being witnessed in emerging economies. There are 228 million young persons who live on less than $2 per day. The ILO’s Global Employment
Trends Report of September 2012 has warned of a “scarred” generation of young workers facing a dangerous mix of high unemployment, increased inactivity and precarious work in developed countries, as well as persistently high levels of worker poverty in the developing world. Governments around the world
are concerned about the high levels of youth unemployment and underemployment because of not only the direct economic costs, but also due to the social impact of joblessness as manifested by increased crime, mental health problems, violence, drug taking and social exclusion. Unemployment and underemployment are such critical issues that the ILO has been providing technical support to the Sri Lankan government in the formulation of its National Human Resources and Employment Policy, the workshop heard.
The ILO is addressing youth unemployment issues in close collaboration with citizens and the UN
family and has worked on the issue of decent work for youth in Sri Lanka for many years. The ILO supported Sri Lanka to be one of the world’s leading 19 countries under the UN Secretary General’s Youth Employment Network (YEN) Programme. A youth resolution from Sri Lanka, based on consultation with young women and men from all 25 districts of the country, was tabled at the 2012 International Labour Conference. It urges an inclusive approach that echoes “no solution for us without us”.
Tackling youth employment issues For the ILO, the promotion of decent work for young people is a central concern. Collective action that could help change the future for young people includes: better training and education and measures to prepare young people for the labour market; the encouragement of youth entrepreneurship and enterprise development; the effective implementation of international labour standards and the defending of labour rights; the engagement of youth in social dialogue, and a sharing of experiences in tackling youth unemployment challenges. The ILO has initiated programmes
globally, including in Sri Lanka, to support youth employment premised upon equality, employability, entrepreneurship skills and employment creation. Member States of the ILO
this year called for immediate, targeted and renewed action to tackle the young employment crisis through: macro-economic policies, employability, labour market policies, youth entrepreneurship and labour rights. Balanced, coherent and complementary policies are needed to ensure a robust response to the crisis, the workshop heard. Youth employment must be
accorded the highest priority on the agenda of the Commonwealth, it was argued. Parliamentarians and those in public life play a critical role in keeping youth issues central to discussions on development and sustainable development.
Young people must be actively
involved in the discussions and in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, programmes and projects. Special attention is required
for those youths who are at risk or disadvantaged based on their geographical location, socio- economic status or environmental conditions. New technologies, such as the
social media, should be used to keep them engaged and involved in decision-making at the highest political levels and at the regional and national levels. Youth Parliaments were
described as an important concept and more people should be given opportunity to participate in them.
Changing mindsets Members suggested that more young people should be encouraged to be employed in blue-collar jobs instead of office work. There must be an attitudinal change in the minds of youngsters. Blue-collar jobs cannot be undermined. Sensitization and mobilization of young people are necessary to take up any kind of job. Pay for many jobs is not
sufficient. A minimum wage should be prescribed and there must be a suitable and pleasant environment in which to work. Young people should also be encouraged to be entrepreneurs in the business and industrial sectors. Micro-credit schemes might be useful for young people to engage in small businesses and industries. It was suggested that the
retirement age could be reduced so that more young people could be accommodated in the work force. This would require the establishment of attractive retirement plans. Another suggestion was that
groups of youths should be provided with loan facilities to invest, with proper guidance and mentorship. Engaging young people in voluntary services was suggested; but it was also noted that they needed to earn a livelihood during this period of service.
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