how to reduce youth unemployment essay

Youth Unemployment and Policy Solutions Essay

Policy solutions, recommendations, works cited.

Nowadays, the problem of unemployment affects people in different age groups. Youth unemployment (YU) is especially problematic since for people aged 15-24, the lack of available jobs is associated with the inability to pay for education and start their own families. Despite significant economic differences between countries, the problem affects young people all over the world. As of 2018, the average YU rates ranged from 3.7% of the force aged 15-24 in Japan to 53% in South Africa and did not exceed 9% in the United States (“Youth Unemployment Rate (Indicator”). Importantly, YU is closely interconnected with minority discrimination. For instance, in the United States, the group with the largest unemployment rates is African-American young men and women between 16 and 19 years old (“Labor Force Statistics”). Minority groups can be affected by this problem due to a variety of factors, including potential employers’ biases, educational inequality, and the lack of necessary skills.

The growth of YU rates has a variety of negative consequences, impacting both economic development and people’s quality of life. The inability to address the problem of unemployment in the given age group may result in the growth of criminal activity, child poverty, and people’s negative perceptions of life (Kalleberg). The causes of YU are being thoroughly researched. The following factors may be the potential causes of the problem:

• Age-based discrimination in the job market;
• The lack of necessary qualifications;
• Short supply of jobs;
• Ethnic discrimination;
• Globalization and technological advancement (Kalleberg 36).

Apprenticeship Systems

A larger number of strategies expected to reduce YU rates has been proposed in different countries. Given that unemployment exists due to individuals’ limited opportunity to get necessary skills, the first potential solution is based on young people’s access to courses helping them to get any professional skills that are in demand. Such policies are widely used in both developed and developing countries to strengthen partnerships between educational institutions and key employers in some regions. As a potential solution, the creation of apprenticeship systems aimed at the development of skills is generally believed to be an effective practice (Riphahn and Zibrowius 33). Unlike older people, young citizens do not have networks that would make them aware of job opportunities matching their skill levels (Kalleberg 37). Taking this fact into consideration, apprenticeship programs are particularly important since they introduce future specialists to certain professional fields, at least helping them to understand their future employers’ expectations.

Being used in many countries with high GDPs, apprenticeship systems have a variety of advantages when it comes to the problem of unemployment. Some of the most significant benefits of such policies are listed below:

• Future employees get helpful experience and learn to solve real-life problems;
• Apprenticeship trainings help reduce dissatisfaction with the chosen jobs;
• Young people make their first professional contacts, which can be helpful in the future;
• Apprenticeship programs are focused on the development of practical skills that are in demand (Riphahn and Zibrowius 35).

Even though such policies can lead to positive changes in the situation with unemployment among young people, they should not be the only option to rely on due to their potential disadvantages. The weak points of apprenticeship programs include the following:

• Not all programs for young people are fee-free;
• There is no evidence that apprenticeship programs reduce race-based inequality in access to jobs.

Support of Youth Entrepreneurship

There are many policies that aim to reduce the problem of unemployment by implementing initiatives that support youth entrepreneurship. According to experts from the UN, to reduce YU, it is necessary to provide young people with more opportunities to start their own businesses and contribute to their countries’ economic development (UNCTAD 86). The proposed policies involve the simplification of procedures needed to start a business and the introduction of start-up incentives for new businesses led by young people (UNCTAD 86). Such programs should always be implemented with attention to the economic situation in particular countries and the presence of necessary resources.

Policies that promote financial and regulatory support of young entrepreneurs can positively impact the situation with unemployment and encourage more people to implement their ideas into practice. In general, the following advantages of such initiatives can be singled out:

• The growth of the small business sector (UNCTAD 86);
• Youth-led businesses can create new jobs for young people;
• Allowances can help young entrepreneurs to stay competitive;
• Youth entrepreneurship can positively change the labor market in disadvantaged areas.

However, this strategy has some disadvantages and involves certain unobvious risks. There is no doubt that more individuals will try to profit from their ideas if some regulatory barriers to starting a business are removed. At the same time, given that people aged 16-24 usually have no experience of being a business leader, the outcomes of increased entrepreneurial activity among youth present an open question. As for particular disadvantages, the following factors make the policy’s relevance to the discussed problem questionable:

• Young entrepreneurs may fail to manage business operations successfully;
• The policy does not guarantee equal opportunities for the representatives of different ethnicities;
• To achieve success, young entrepreneurs can prefer to collaborate with experienced specialists, which limits the initiative’s impact on YU.

The approaches to addressing the problem of YU vary greatly. Both the adoption of apprenticeship systems and measures helping to encourage entrepreneurship activity among young people. This initiative may help create more job options for young citizens with different educational levels because they focus on the development of practical skills and aim to remove barriers to business. Increased entrepreneurship activity, in its turn, leads to the creation of new jobs, which can be important to young people who cannot find jobs in large companies due to high competition.

Despite the advantages of policies that support youth-led businesses, the first option seems to be a more suitable solution. Apprenticeship systems and programs can prepare young people to fulfill different roles and work in a team, which is critical to success in career development. In contrast, overreliance on policies to increase the number of youth-led businesses will not help to prepare a diverse workforce. Moreover, although such policies are targeted at young people, it is not valid to say that entrepreneurs in this age group hire only inexperienced employees, and it reduces such programs’ relevance to the chosen problem. Taking these disadvantages into consideration, it can be recommended to solve the problem of YU by propelling the idea of apprenticeship programs to the next level. In particular, it is critical to design new measures to prevent organizations from discriminating against racial and ethnic minority applicants. Therefore, to increase young people’s chances to find good jobs and develop skills that are in demand, it can be necessary to introduce changes to some policies that are already in use.

Kalleberg, Arne L. “Precarious Work and Young Workers in the United States.” Youth, Jobs, and the Future: Problems and Prospects , edited by Lynn S. Chancer et al., Oxford University Press, 2019, pp. 35-52.

“Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey.” United States Department of Labor . 2019, Web.

Riphahn, Regina T., and Michael Zibrowius. “Apprenticeship, Vocational Training, and Early Labor Market Outcomes – Evidence from East and West Germany.” Education Economics , vol. 24, no. 1, 2016, pp. 33-57.

UNCTAD. Policy Guide on Youth Entrepreneurship . United Nations, 2015.

“Youth Unemployment Rate (Indicator).” OECD , 2019, Web.

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Home — Essay Samples — Economics — Unemployment — The Strategies To Reduce Youth Unemployment

The Strategies to Reduce Youth Unemployment

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Published: Jul 15, 2020

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Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Youth employment

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New ILO book focuses on the global challenge of youth unemployment and proposes policies to create more decent jobs for young women and men.

Subsidising firms to stimulate youth employment

Do minimum wages significantly reduce youth employment.

Unemployment is hitting youth hard: this is what we should do

Professor of Economics , The University of Melbourne

Disclosure statement

Jeff Borland has received funding from the ARC to undertake research on the operation of the Australian labour market. He attended the SVA Employment Dialogue as an invited participant.

University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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Australia came out of the global financial crisis better than most industrialised countries, but did not escape altogether. With a weaker economy, the unemployment rate rose from about 4% to 6% between 2008 and 2009. It has remained around that level since then, and the longer unemployment remains at this level, the greater the costs it imposes on those affected.

The young are particularly disadvantaged by the current unemployment rate. This is not unexpected, as the young always fare worst in downturns.

Slowing economic activity reduces the rate of creation of new jobs. At any point in time, the young, who are making the transition from education to work, account for a disproportionate share of job seekers. Therefore, they are also most affected by the declining availability of jobs.

In May 2012, the rate of unemployment for 15 to 19-year-olds was 18.8%; and for the broader group of 15 to 24-year-olds it was 13.1%. This compares to an unemployment rate of 5.8% for the population aged 15 to 64 years.

Long-term unemployment also becomes a more severe problem as the economic downturn lengthens. Of those 15 to 24-year-olds who were unemployed in May 2012, more than 25% had been unemployed for 12 months and longer.

These numbers have attracted growing attention to the labour market problems facing young Australians today. The main point of discussion has been how to assist the young unemployed and those who will make their transition to the labour market in coming years to obtain employment.

Focus on help, not blame

It is important to recognise that the main influence on their employment prospects is outside their control. This is the rate of economic growth. It determines the pace at which jobs are created, and therefore the unemployment rate. Recent research I have done shows that virtually all of the increase in Australia’s rate of unemployment since the start of 2008 can be explained by slower economic growth.

Once the rate of economic growth becomes sufficient to generate a higher rate of job creation, it is young job seekers who will benefit most. Being the largest share of job searchers, they will get the largest share of the new jobs. Therefore, the employment rate of the young will increase, and their unemployment rate will decrease by more than for the rest of the population.

The best way for a government to reduce youth unemployment then is to keep economic growth as high as possible. The other main way to improve labour market outcomes for the young unemployed is through targeted programs that make them “job ready” and create pathways to employment. Programs that provide these services to the young unemployed can increase their opportunities to move into work when extra jobs become available.

There is, however, a problem. Having programs targeted to improve outcomes for the young unemployed sounds good in theory, but the practice has been more difficult. Designing programs that work has been a major challenge.

It is this challenge, and the challenge of long-term unemployment more generally, that was taken up this month by the Social Ventures Australia (SVA) “Employment Dialogue”. With the theme “Building better futures for those experiencing long-term unemployment”, the event brought together representatives of leading welfare agencies, service providers for the unemployed, major business groups, as well as SVA members.

At a time when the federal government’s best idea is to go back to the failed model of Work for the Dole , the discussion at the Employment Dialogue was refreshing and inspiring.

Speakers from very different backgrounds provided a broad range of ideas on what would be good policy that were striking for how much they had in common. Putting these ideas together provides the possibility of a new approach to designing policies to improve labour market outcomes for the long-term unemployed as well as those about to move into the labour market.

Policies to help young workers

Here’s my summary of the main ideas from the Employment Dialogue about policy design:

Assistance to the unemployed should ideally involve a job placement. This is the best pathway to long-term employment and the best context for increasing skills.

Many employers are willing to support initiatives to improve outcomes for the unemployed; for example, by providing job placements. A prerequisite for employers to offer placements is that they want workers who already have basic capabilities needed for work. They are happy to partner not-for-profits/service providers who can do the work of giving the unemployed those basic capabilities. An example profiled on the day was a partnership between Leighton Contractors and Beacon Foundation and CareerTrackers.

Not-for-profits can also successfully create job placements that improve the employment prospects of young unemployed. A leading example is the STREAT program which provides young jobless homeless youth with the training and skills for a career in the hospitality sector.

To support building relationships between business and not-for-profits or service providers it is necessary to have a local or decentralised model of assistance for the unemployed and the young who are making the transition from education to work.

Part of the local assistance to young people making the transition from education to work should be a greater role for schools and suppliers of tertiary education in providing opportunities to engage with the workplace. For example, having more information on work options allows students to make better study choices and provides greater motivation for study.

Training and obtaining a formal qualification can be an important part of improving outcomes for the unemployed, but the incentives to undertake training and the value of training are greatest when it is matched to a job placement.

All this can only happen if we have government funding that supports a decentralised model of assistance to the young unemployed. Any funding model should require that specified outcomes be achieved, but must also allow greater flexibility and less bureaucracy than current government schemes.

The government funding model should recognise that “you get what you pay for”. Some young unemployed have a substantial level of disadvantage, which will require significant spending for them to acquire basic capabilities for employment. Therefore, it is necessary to take a long-run approach to benefit-cost in evaluating this type of spending.

It is important to make more effort to do rigorous evaluation of programs that seek to assist the unemployed, as a basis for refining our knowledge of what is most effective.

Applying these principles to the design of programs for young unemployed would be a big step forward in Australia. It would give us a good chance of, as one participant put it at the Employment Dialogue, “getting money to where it will be most effective and starting to make a difference”.

See the rest of the Another Country: Youth in Australia series here .

• Unemployment
• Youth unemployment
• Youth in Australia
• Work for the dole

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How can technology reduce youth unemployment?

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Duncan Luke

.chakra .wef-9dduvl{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-9dduvl{font-size:1.125rem;}} Explore and monitor how .chakra .wef-15eoq1r{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;color:#F7DB5E;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-15eoq1r{font-size:1.125rem;}} Future of Work is affecting economies, industries and global issues

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:, future of work.

The digital economy has taken over our world. Upstarts like Uber, Airbnb, Kickstarter and Square are proving that we live in a world where technology pioneers and the monetisation of disruptive technologies win consumers over with innovative thinking.

This raises the question of how such market solutions can be used to tackle some of society’s most pressing issues – specifically, the  60% of young people in developing regions who are either unemployed, not studying, or engaged in irregular employment, according to  ILO . Africa is a prominent example of this, with its exploding youth population.

Judith Rodin, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, suggests that the number of young people between the ages 15 and 24 in Africa will double from 200 million to 400 million by 2045. It is estimated that 200 million youth will enter the formal sector, which is a great opportunity given that new ways of employment are created by private sectors as a priority. Sadly, based on current projections, only 3-5 million jobs will be created for the 10-12 million youth eligible to enter the formal economy annually, leaving approximately half of these youth with little prospect for employment. I suggest that technology can be used to turn the tide on the continued economic marginalization of the youth.

The digital economy promises a wealth of decision ready data at the fingertips of companies, governments and even international civil society organisations. What about the social entrepreneurs and small, but impactful, civil society organisations where limited tools are available?

In today’s economy, civil society organisations are left to relieve the pain felt by marginalized youth, women and children, while government points to the private sector to create the necessary jobs and the private sector in turn points to the government to create and implement the necessary policies to allow it to create jobs. But no one has asked which jobs must be created, for who, how and why – especially when it comes to tackling these inequalities.

Perhaps digital tools are able to provide insights and an understanding of the future of youth empowerment and employment. First, data collection (personal, market and other sources of big data) must be improved, and so must the analysis of that data. Finally, decision making must then be based on the employability, in terms of soft skill attributes, of the person. As digital tools become more efficient in solving daily productivity problems and become more adaptive to learned situations, we’ll progress to a stage where digital tools can be deployed to solve some of society’s greatest challenges, including unemployment and/or employability.

Youth unemployment and empowerment can be understood by gaining insight into the employability of individuals at scale – as youth empowerment initiatives can be quantified and best practises learnt and shared. Larger social media networks have been doing this for advertising since their inception, leading to extremely successful business models. Can the same practices not be applied to civil society organisations, by designing digital tools which effectively address their unique requirements?

What is being done

Private sector : Google and Richard Branson are trying new employment models where they employ 2 people part time instead of 1 person full time (more about that can be read here ). This allows the employee time to pursue other passions and personal interests, while the employer is able to reduce their staff overheads.

Coca Cola is pioneering a bold strategy to work out how to add value to their extensive business and supply chain network, through a programme called 5by20. 5by20 is The Coca-Cola Company’s global commitment to enable the economic empowerment of 5 million women entrepreneurs across the company’s value chain by 2020. The programme is aimed at the small businesses the company works with in over 200 countries around the world. From fruit farmers to artisans, this initiative aims to help women overcome the barriers they face to business success. 5by20 and The Coca-Cola Company are proud to be giving millions of women opportunities to build their businesses, support their families and build their communities, while inspiring more to do the same.

Civil society: An increasing number of foundations and funds are turning their focus to youth networks that address their own problems in their own communities, tasking them to come up with solutions which they can support.

Another overlooked solution is placing youth with local civil society organisations, many of which seek support by means of volunteerism. This is arguably one of the most impactful ways to build social cohesiveness. To this effect, it has been proven in the  US and in the  UK that ‘volunteerism’ is able to increase a young person’s employability by up to 40%.

How the Global Shapers are using technology to solve this

After becoming a winner of the Global Shapers Community ‘Coca Cola Shaping a Better Future Challenge’ at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2014, the Cape Town Hub of the Global Shapers Community was able to successfully launch  The Social Collective , a Global Shaper Hub project turned for-profit technology start-up. This comes off the back of work the Hub was doing with some South African government agencies in providing a technology to increase and track the employability of young people, specifically through volunteering.

The Social Collective is now developing a digital Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tool which makes M&E more meaningful – to organisations and individuals – by providing specialist software and consulting services. Monitoring and Evaluation (reporting) is required by donors of civil society organisations, however few digital tools exist to increase productivity or programme management (from data collection to analysis), or for beneficiaries to track their personal development and employability gained through structured development programmes. The Social Collective responds to this need.

Many of the beneficiaries of civil society organisations are digitally engaged and are able to check in with their friends on a daily basis via social media. However, civil society organisations still have issues tracking and getting feedback from the same individuals (from programme managers to beneficiaries).

As a digital tool which is available on mobile phone and even via SMS, The Social Collective gives civil society organisations access to their data so that they can gain insight into the livelihood and personal, professional and independent development of individuals supported by their programmes, which gives rigour to intuition. Beneficiaries, on the other hand, can easily track the skills that they have acquired and the hours spent acquiring each skill. Then policymakers and the private sector can begin to answer the question: which jobs must be created, for who, how and why.

This article is published in collaboration with Global Shapers . Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

To keep up with Forum:Agenda  subscribe to our weekly newsletter .

Author: Duncan Luke is founder of the Social Collective and a Global Shaper from the Cape Town Hub.

Image: Young visitors look at the bourse at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo March 3, 2014. REUTERS/Issei Kato.

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Vocational Education and Training in Sub-Saharan Africa pp 189–199 Cite as

Tackling Youth Unemployment Through Workplace-Based Vocational Training

• Celestin Mayombe 2  
• First Online: 30 September 2021

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Unemployment among disadvantaged youth is one of “the triple challenges” facing Sub-Saharan Africa today, including South Africa. The “triple challenges” refer to the situation of high levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment, which have been classified as socio-economic challenges facing developing countries and especially Sub-Saharan Africa. This final chapter draws the lessons learned on the role of local government to tackle youth unemployment through vocational training programmes and provides a way forward. The chapter wraps up the whole study by summarising the key findings, drawing conclusions and suggesting some recommendations. The mechanisms utilised to assist a graduate with finding employment were effective because the wage employment rate after graduating was 65.4%; trainees became employed towards the end of their training or immediately after graduating. Therefore, the training programmes have accomplished the operational target 4.4 of goal four of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) dealing with adult education for employment. The main contribution of this assessment study is the establishment of a solid base for effective evidence-informed practice and policy-making for vocational training programmes in South Africa.

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Mayombe, C. (2021). Tackling Youth Unemployment Through Workplace-Based Vocational Training. In: Vocational Education and Training in Sub-Saharan Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82284-2_5

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Published : 30 September 2021

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Tackling youth unemployment: What works, what doesn't

Youth unemployment is one of South Africa’s most intractable challenges, made worse by COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic the unemployment rate (including people who had given up looking for work) was just under 70% for people aged 15 to 24 .

A year later the rate had increased to 74% – despite government investments. So it is crucial to understand what interventions are working. But how do we evaluate whether youth employment programmes are successful, particularly when unemployment is caused by the structure of the economy ?

The obvious answer, of course, is whether a programme results in a young person getting employed.

This is logical and easy to measure. It can easily be linked to the release of funding to programmes. And it allows for programmes to be compared. This was done in a systematic review of 113 programmes internationally .

However, as we have explored in several recent studies, there are a number of drawbacks to relying solely on job placement as an indicator of successful intervention. Doing so misses out on outcomes that are equally important, or more so, amid high structural unemployment.

Together, these studies show that job placement alone is an insufficient goal and measure of the success of youth employability programmes.

These lessons are particularly important in economies that have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, where youth employment recovery will take time.

Inadequate measure of success

We make this argument based on several studies. The first looked at long-term employment outcomes of 1,892 youth between 18 and 25 who participated in youth employability programmes over the period 2017-2018. These are programmes run by NGOs, business and the state. They typically include technical and soft skills training.

The proportion of participants who found jobs and stayed in them over time was just 28% – somewhat better than a matched sample from the quarterly labour force survey data , but still low. But we also found evidence that programmes had other important outcomes. These included a continued positive orientation to the labour market, and improved self-esteem and self-efficacy – important attributes for managing the protracted transition to work in a low growth economy.

The second involved analysis of the quarterly labour force survey and general household survey data to understand the nature of young people not in employment or in education and training. It found that while many such youth have never worked, a significant portion find themselves in and out of work without making much longer-term progress.

The third study draws together several qualitative studies conducted in the past 10 years. It shows that young people are frustrated by the constant cycle of finding and taking up training and employment opportunities, without making progress towards a longer-term career.

Together, these studies show that job placement alone is an insufficient goal and measure of the success of youth employability programmes. Four reasons for this argument emerge from these studies.

First, job placement says more about demand than supply. A young person’s ability to find a job doesn’t depend only on their skills but also on whether the labour market is creating sufficient demand for employees. No matter how well a programme trains and supports a young person, if there are limited jobs, young people are unlikely to be employed.

Second, if a programme is getting young people into jobs even though job numbers are not growing – as in South Africa – these placements may be at the expense of other work seekers.

Individual programmes can get people into jobs while the overall youth unemployment rate stays stagnant or rises. In the context of a rapidly contracting economy in the COVID-19 era , this is a particularly important argument against job placement as the only measure of a programme’s success.

Third, using this single indicator takes attention away from longer-term pathways towards sustainable livelihoods. Many jobs in South Africa, especially at entry level, are insecure, part time or casual. There’s a risk of disregarding whether a job is decent and has prospects for learning and career development.

Young people typically do not stay in jobs . This is either because the job is not a good fit or is for a short term only. Other barriers, such as transport costs, also account for why they are unable to stay in jobs.

Qualitative and quantitative evidence shows that young people find jobs that are typically short lived, before having to look again for their next placement. Policymakers should consider whether these short term experiences add up to something longer term – or there’s a risk of perpetuating the cycle of underemployment.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, evaluating programmes on the basis of job placement alone underestimates the multidimensionality of poverty . Evidence repeatedly shows how many barriers and challenges young people face as they leave the education system and begin to find their way towards a job, and perhaps even a career.

Evidence repeatedly shows how many barriers and challenges young people face as they leave the education system and begin to find their way towards a job, and perhaps even a career.

These barriers are not only related to the labour market or education system. They also include issues such as food insecurity, income poverty, and care responsibilities , among others. Each of these limit the ability of young people to look for work.

These interrelated challenges influence young people’s ability to take up training or job opportunities.

Taken together, these challenges require far more intensive support than simply training and placing a young person in a job.

Alternative approaches

It is crucial that funders, policy makers, and programme developers invest in more intensive support that can help young people meet the challenges they face in seeking work. They must also insist on measures beyond job placement as indicators of success. International evidence bears this out. It shows that across 113 programmes reviewed, multidimensional programmes that seek to provide more comprehensive support to youth are more effective than those that offer training only. They are particularly successful when they target the most vulnerable youth.

Further, our research recognises the crucial contribution such programmes play in keeping young people connected to opportunities, and reducing social exclusion and social drift. This is when young people become increasingly disconnected from the labour market, training opportunities and positive social inclusion, which in turn can have negative consequences on mental health.

Given this evidence and the fact that South Africa is facing a stagnant economy for some time, it is crucial that funders, policy makers and those working on youth employment interventions evaluate and invest in programmes on the basis of their ability to keep young people positively oriented towards the labour market. The programmes should help improve their employability, even if the young participant is not yet able to find an actual job.

Outcome indicators that can more adequately measure these factors include enhancing job search resilience, promoting self-esteem and self-efficacy, and reducing discouragement .

There are ample reasons to move away from evaluating employability programmes on the basis of employment outcomes alone. Rather, a range of indicators should be used to track whether young people remain engaged, believe in themselves and keep trying to find a job. This, while developing the personal attributes that will make them attractive to future employers.

Each of these outcomes is more difficult to measure than a simple count of job placements. But it’s not impossible.

Lauren Graham, Associate professor at the Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, University of Johannesburg; Ariane De Lannoy, Senior Researcher: Poverty and Inequality Initiative, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, and Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg.

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Essay on How to Reduce Unemployment

Students are often asked to write an essay on How to Reduce Unemployment in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on How to Reduce Unemployment

Understanding unemployment.

Unemployment means when people who can work don’t have a job. It’s a big problem globally.

Improving Education

Better education can help reduce unemployment. If people learn more skills, they can find jobs easier.

Encouraging Entrepreneurship

Promoting entrepreneurship can create more jobs. If more people start businesses, they can hire others.

Government Policies

Government can help by making policies that encourage job growth. They can invest in industries that create jobs.

Reducing unemployment requires effort from everyone. With better education, entrepreneurship, and government policies, we can fight it.

250 Words Essay on How to Reduce Unemployment

Introduction.

Unemployment is a significant socio-economic issue that affects both individuals and nations. It leads to wasted human capital, reduced economic growth, and increased social problems. To mitigate unemployment, a multi-faceted approach is required.

Enhancing Education and Training

Education is the cornerstone of employability. A well-educated population is more likely to be employed. Therefore, improving the quality of education and aligning it with market needs can significantly reduce unemployment. Additionally, vocational training programs can equip individuals with skills that are in high demand in the job market.

Promoting Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a key driver of job creation. By fostering a conducive environment for startups and small businesses, governments can stimulate job growth. This can be achieved through policies that ease business registration, provide access to funding, and offer tax incentives.

Investing in Infrastructure

Investing in infrastructure can create jobs both directly and indirectly. Directly, through the construction and maintenance of infrastructure, and indirectly, by improving the business environment and attracting investment.

Encouraging Innovation and Technology

Innovation and technology can create new industries and jobs. Governments and educational institutions should promote research and development, and encourage the adoption of new technologies.

Reducing unemployment requires a comprehensive approach that includes improving education and training, promoting entrepreneurship, investing in infrastructure, and encouraging innovation. By implementing these strategies, we can not only reduce unemployment but also stimulate economic growth and social development.

500 Words Essay on How to Reduce Unemployment

Unemployment is a pressing issue in many economies worldwide, affecting both the individual’s well-being and a nation’s economic health. It is a multifaceted problem with no single solution. However, by implementing strategic policies and initiatives, we can significantly reduce unemployment rates.

Education and Skill Development

The first step in reducing unemployment is investing in education and skill development. The labor market is increasingly demanding a skilled and educated workforce. Thus, ensuring citizens have access to quality education and vocational training is paramount. This approach not only prepares individuals for the job market but also fosters innovation and entrepreneurship, leading to job creation.

Promoting entrepreneurship is another effective strategy to curb unemployment. By offering incentives such as tax breaks, grants, and low-interest loans, governments can motivate individuals to start their own businesses. This not only creates jobs but also stimulates economic growth. Additionally, providing entrepreneurship education and mentorship programs can equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to run successful businesses.

Labor Market Policies

Governments can also implement labor market policies aimed at reducing unemployment. These may include reducing the cost of labor for employers by lowering payroll taxes, implementing flexible employment contracts, and encouraging part-time work. Such policies can make it more attractive for businesses to hire, reducing the unemployment rate.

Investing in infrastructure can stimulate job growth in two ways. First, the construction phase creates jobs, particularly for low-skilled workers. Second, improved infrastructure can attract businesses, leading to long-term job creation. This is particularly effective in rural areas, where unemployment rates are often higher.

Supporting Job Search Efforts

Supporting job search efforts is another important strategy. This may include providing resources for job seekers, such as career counseling, job search workshops, and online job portals. Additionally, unemployment benefits should be structured in a way that encourages recipients to actively seek work.

Reducing unemployment is a complex task that requires a multifaceted approach. By investing in education and skill development, encouraging entrepreneurship, implementing labor market policies, investing in infrastructure, and supporting job search efforts, we can make significant strides towards reducing unemployment. While these strategies require substantial investment and time, the long-term benefits for individuals and the economy as a whole are well worth the effort.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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8 Ways to Ease Youth Unemployment and Underemployment

Millions of school youth are currently unemployed or underemployed. This number increases per year for various reasons.

Some cannot follow an academic curriculum. Others do not have an interest in school work.

For many, families do not have the money to support them in schools, and they need to contribute to family revenue by helping with rice growing and animal care.

Perhaps, some find marginal jobs in the city in the hope of earning enough money to attend private training institutions to acquire language and computer skills for improved employment. But very few can do this.

In most countries, these school leavers find it difficult both socially and academically to re-enter. 

Typically, general education concentrates on those who can stay in school. 

Those who have completed their formal primary education and are excluded from any further recognized learning regardless of desire or intellect certainly have lost any chance of higher education within the public education system.

TVET public system, meanwhile, is failing to attract students to its certificate and diploma programs. Qualified applicants for higher education do not choose technology first but try for places in academic universities.

​Part of this is the tradition of academic learning that predominates in many countries, especially in Asia.

Changing public attitude is a very long term process even if, in many countries, this extended process has already begun. So, if TVET is to play a role, it can serve this increasing unemployed and underemployed youth.

For many of these school leavers, mastering the skills and knowledge required for entry into higher education is possible if they can learn part-time and work with their families. 

Some of these young people may be among the most gifted learners in the country, and if given an opportunity, they could become exceptional technicians and engineers.

In many countries now, the population is so skewed towards the young that youth employment is now a significant concern. Recent figures from  ILO  placed youth unemployment numbers at 73.4 million, a 3.5 million increase from 2007. ILO also emphasized that over 53% of young workers are in vulnerable employment.

How do we deal with this problem?

1. Training in the workplace

Employers used to train entry-level employees, allowing them to gain experience and climb the career ladder. Today, employers favour outside hires with ready-to-go experience. This change has hurt young job-seekers. It is best to reward employers who invest in on-the-job training with tax credits. 

2. Youth employment services

Link skills training with an employer and industry needs. Involve business at the local level in the design of employment and training programs.

Businesses would commit to hiring graduates of training programs, and they would track outcomes to create a feedback loop to improve the program design. Strengthen the National Employment Agency with a youth services unit to do research and provide career counselling.

3. Developing entrepreneurship

Young entrepreneurs need coaching and networks to build job-creating businesses. Business leaders need to foster a culture of mentorship. ​Develop an Entrepreneurship Incubator in each college working with local successful business people and SMEs. Business mentoring is so crucial that ILO created, Know about Business, a training methodology for trainers and teachers to help young people become more entrepreneurial.

4. Apprenticeships

Current apprenticeship systems need fixing. There are still barriers to groups such as women. Though the number of young people entering apprenticeships has increased, too many never complete their training.

Not enough employers view hiring an apprentice as an attractive investment. National incentives grants for apprentices go unclaimed.

To increase the number of apprenticeships, educators need to sell students on career and skills education more than they do.

Some experts believe teachers don’t do this because working in the trades is outside their experience. Offer teachers and guidance counsellors short co-op placements in the trades so that they appreciate their value relative to college and university.

5. Career Education

Experience in the workplace is critical for students to make good choices about their careers. It also teaches the “soft skills” employers require.

Make co-op education a mandatory credit in high school, to be phased in over a few years. The government needs a program to help educators and employers develop experiential and workplace learning. 

There is no standard or certification for high school guidance counsellors working on career development with students. Few high school teachers know anything about private sector work or the needs of employers. To ensure quality, require some high school teachers to train and certify as career-development professionals.

Teenagers turn first to their parents for career advice. Parents need better information and more support from schools to help their offspring make the right decisions. Ministers of education should set targets for schools to deliver career education to parents.  ​ Career studies courses help teenagers consider their working future. Make career studies mandatory. Ensure well-trained teachers teach the classes.

Read more on this:  Why Career Coaching in TVET Insitutions Read this link on why a Career Coach is helpful: ​ 7 Key Benefits of Finding a Career Coach

6. Colleges and universities to offer co-op education

Co-ops lead to better outcomes in the labour market because they give students work experience and help them develop their networks. The government can create financial incentives for colleges and universities that offer co-op education as part of the course requirements. 

Countries that align colleges and vocational education with the labour market’s needs have lower youth unemployment rates. Ministries of education do track college graduates’ success in the labour market. Strengthen this process now.

Enforce a stricter correspondence between the level of admissions and the labour market’s demand for graduates. If that means limiting entries, so be it. University programs that are pathways to professions such as education and law must also move in this direction.

Evidence suggests that career-counselling after high school helps young people hone their job search skills and find work more quickly. Make consultations with a career professional who can coach you. ​

Graduates need to understand the transition from school to work and must learn to manage it: 10 Winning Attitudes for a Successful Career Kick-Start

7. Skills Bridging Program

In Cambodia, the Directorate of Technical and Vocational Education and Training has started skills bridging program where school leavers (out of school for at least two years) go through a curriculum of Math, Science and Language to meet the requirements for entry into the TVET certificate programs.

The Asian Development Bank, through its Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, assisted this program.

​Over three years, about 700 graduated and of these, 63% enrolled in certificate programs while the others found better employment. Because the Provincial Training Centers in Cambodia go to the rural areas, this program serves mostly the rural youth population.

8. National TVET system that promotes youth employment.

There is a need to redirect the TVET system to serve industry needs better, so graduates from the system can find better employment. The system must also promote programs in rural areas to help the youth get into the career ladder system to avail themselves of better employment opportunities.

Discover more articles about national TVET systems here:

• Funding of TVET through levy grants; 2 models
• Skills bridging in TVET: Cambodia case study
• Reinventing the TVET colleges
• Why som TVET systems are failing
• 11 Effective steps to industry and education partnerships

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