Jobs crisis calls for timely and targeted policies

INLSA

Stampede: Chaotic scenes earlier this year at the University of Johannesburg were an indication of the youths desperation to make a life for themselves  when hundreds arrived for registration.

Workplace Staff

Up to 75 million young people between the ages of 15 and 35 around the world are facing a crisis of unemployment and underemployment.

This state of affairs threatens social cohesion and carries high social and economic costs. The possibility of social unrest is greatly increased on one hand and, on the other, unemployment means that young people are not contributing to the fiscus through taxes to help grow the economy.

These are some of the challenges that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) grappled with at its annual conference in Geneva last month. In its report “Youth Employment Crisis: Time for Action”, it says social partners have a role to play in mitigating the effects of youth unemployment and underemployment.

The crisis means that it is the responsibility of governments to ensure that there is social protection and support for those who are out of employment.

To mitigate against this challenge, governments should enhance fiscal and institutional capacities to undertake timely and targeted policies to reduce macro-economic volatility. As a result of which the ILO has called for:

lTime-bound national youth action plans that are pro-employment.

lCredible commitment to tackling the challenge of durable youth employment.

lMeasurable outcomes developed with the involvement of social partners (workers, employers and government).

lCoherence of youth employment measures and inter-institutional co-ordination of key players around a common platform of action.

lYouth employment policies that address not only unemployment, but focus on quality of jobs for youth.

Discussion on the youth employment crisis dates back to 2005, when the International Labour Conference resolved to urge governments to work on:

lEmployment and economic policies.

lEmployability, education, training and skills and the school-to-work transition.

lLabour market policies.

lYouth entrepreneurship and self-employment.

lRights for young people.

On a long-term basis, governments should also ensure free quality basic education as a durable solution to youth unemployment.

Focus should also be placed on policies that strengthen the link between education and training systems and the world of work to address the mismatch that exists.

Labour Minister Nelisiwe Oliphant has pledged government commitment as part of the country’s obligation of creating jobs and growing the economy.

To this end, one of the interventions that is spearheaded by the Department of Labour is a series of jobs fairs around the country.

“This is an opportunity for employers to meet potential employees. This means we are responding to the matching of skill to the need of the labour market and thereby help in mitigating the rife unemployment, especially among young people,” the minister said.

The ILO has also urged that focus should be on providing a second chance to early school-leavers and those who never had educational opportunities.

Further, social partners are urged to develop strategies to promote youth entrepreneurship through an enabling environment, making finance accessible for young entrepreneurs and mentorship for successful business development.

Entrepreneurship curriculums should also be embedded in early education.

lInformation from the Labour Ministry at www.labour.gov.za.