STATE OF THE FIELD IN YOUTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Annexes 2012 State of the Field in Youth Economic Opportunities 12 Support for Youth Economic Opportunity in the MENA region Young agents of change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region raised their voices and took action this past year to demonstrate their demands for greater economic, social, and political opportunity. Headlines around the world have buzzed of priority areas that need reform; and which pertain to members of the public, private, and civil society sectors. For example, some conference participants highlighted how steady economic growth in the Arab world is undermined by the region holding the highest youth unemployment in the world. Youth unemployment costs the Arab world $40 to $50 billion a year. 81 At the 2011 Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference, presenters discussed various approaches that have been taken and will be launched to support improved economic opportunities for young people in MENA. Chapter 12: Support for Youth Economic Opportunity in the MENA Region 12.1 Workplace Exposure and Civic Engagement can Help Young People Develop Realistic Job Expectations and Make More Effective Decisions about Their Future Recent studies have found that many young people in the MENA region have unrealistic expectations about employment prospects. Those expectations can negatively influence their life-planning, decision-making, and life trajectories. For example, many young people expect higher salaries than the marketplace offers. They may also spend years outside formal employment waiting for coveted public sector jobs that bring social prestige and status. Entering into the marketplace through internships or entry-level positions can help young people revise their expectations and understand what is feasible. They can open up new paths to employment or entrepreneurship based on an individual’s skills and interests rather than familial or societal expectations. Civic engagement and community activities also form an entry-point into employment, yet the region has typically had low youth participation in community activities. Organizations working to increase and improve economic opportunities for young people in the region are finding that employers and family members also need to shift their mind-set around youth employment. Employers need to take more risks on young people, and family members need to support non-traditional paths for young people. 12.1.1 Research Spotlight: IFC Researches Education and Employment in Arab World The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, partnered with the Islamic Development Bank to produce a report entitled “Education for Employment: Realizing Arab Youth Potential.” The study focuses on post-secondary education for employment or “e4e” systems across the Arab world, focusing on private sector opportunities. Research included 1,500 youth surveys and 1,500 employer surveys; 200+ interviews with senior business, political and education leaders; a literature review; and case studies. The report found that while demand for e4e is substantial, supply is nascent. The e4e that does exist lacks comprehensive standards and quality assurance, adequate funding mechanisms for students, welltrained education providers and employers, and information transparency and matchmaking between employers and students. Further details on the research and recommendations can be found at: http://e4earabyouth.com/report.php. 81 Executive Summary, Education for Employment: Realizing Arab Youth Potential, pg. 1. International Finance Corporation and the Islamic Development Bank. April 2011. 144
Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Annexes 2012 State of the Field in Youth Economic Opportunities 12.2 Creating Dialogue between Universities, Vocational Training Centers, and Employers about Employment Skills is a Critical Step towards System Change A fundamental mismatch exists between educational offerings in the MENA region and employer demand. For example, Svava Bjarnason, Senior Education Specialist at the International Finance Corporation, noted that a university might train students in a computer programming language that is ten years out of date. This mismatch results from several factors; for example, Ministries of Education (MoE) do not frequently have close contact with the labor market or private sectors and universities can be slow to change. The Education for Employment Foundation (EFE) has intentionally engaged MoEs, as well as multinational employers in the region in order to support market-driven education. EFE is also exploring innovative approaches in the region to increase demand for and supply of quality education and training opportunities for youth that lead to employment. Jamie McAuliffe, President and CEO of EFE, said, “Young people are willing to pay for education if it’s linked to a job”. EFE is now planning to expand its reach to collaborate with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that can employ young people. They also plan to embed their programs in universities in order to influence career centers and curricula while achieving greater scale. The International Youth Foundation (IYF) also emphasizes the need to build cross-sectoral collaborations. Awais Sufi, Vice President of Programs for IYF, discussed how partnership building is especially difficult when the actors continually change, particularly with governments transitioning all across the region at this time. However, alliance building is crucial for ensuring an organization’s initiatives are holistic, forward-thinking, and able to explore and exploit multiple avenues for scale up. For example, it is necessary to involve private sector tourism companies, the government, the education system, young people, and potentially others in determining job and business opportunities for youth within the growth-oriented tourism sector of a country. After initial success of a pilot with all multiple stakeholders involved, the partnership can then be both tested and inclusive enough for scale up through various channels. Chapter 12: Support for Youth Economic Opportunity in the MENA Region 12.3 Entrepreneurship is an Important Part of Increasing Youth Economic Opportunities in MENA, but it is not a Panacea MENA experts who presented at the 2011 GYEOC agree that entrepreneurship is critical since there are not enough jobs in the region to absorb the youth demographic. New experiences identifying entrepreneurial aptitudes, providing training, access to finance, and mentorship hold promise though the region still has a long way to go. Significant attention still needs to be placed on changing mindsets so entrepreneurship is more widely accepted as a viable career path in a region so desperate for new jobs immediately. Stakeholders must be patient and allow sufficient time for businesses to develop. Yemen is one example of a government open to entrepreneurship, though they are just beginning steps necessary to foster new businesses. Experts agree that development time frames and outcome measurements need to account for the time it takes to grow a business, and for acceptance of entrepreneurship to grow. 145
Page 1 and 2:
2012 STATE OF THE FIELD IN YOUTH EC
Page 3 and 4:
Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98: Table of Contents Chapter 9 Chapter
Page 147: Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
Page 249 and 250:
Page 252:
Making Cents International is a dyn
show all

STATE OF THE FIELD IN YOUTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?