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to find employment or to start their own livelihood activities. The new strategy aims to
create over 100,000 jobs per year. 62
Crosscutting priorities in promoting youth employment. Gender sensitivity,
inclusiveness, and conflict and disaster-risk sensitivity are essential in programming for
youth employment. Female and male youth are likely to face different requirements and
concerns. Gender equality in the workplace requires attention to provisions for equal pay,
protections from sexual and gender-based violence and harassment, and childcare and
other support for young heads of households. Special consideration is needed to ensure
that youth in marginalized communities or groups, such as those with disabilities and
those from minority ethnic groups, have equal employment opportunities. Supporting
the transition from military to civilian livelihoods is a particular concern for youth; this
issue is addressed in section 6.3 below.
Youth employment and the assessment process. The livelihoods and economic
recovery assessment (see Chapter 2) is usually the initial source for information on how
the crisis has affected youth. Supplementary data gathering may be needed in order
to provide a clear profile of the youth employment situation, the underlying causes of
youth unemployment and underemployment, and the opportunities, constraints, and
aspirations of youth in the recovery process. Ideally, the following information on youth—
disaggregated by sex, age, geographical location, education level, and ethnicity—will be
collected and regularly updated during programme implementation:
• Unemployment and underemployment
• Income and expenditures
• Sectors of employment or income generation
• Access to resources for enhancing employment and income-generating opportunities,
including credit, technology, vocational and skills training, and advisory support
• Policy and/or regulatory barriers to self-employment
• Factors influencing labour force participation and the type of employment or income
generation activities pursued, including actual or anticipated income levels; family or
peer pressure; seasonality of activities; and special gender-related needs or risks.
Creating an enabling policy, regulatory, and socio-cultural environment for
youth employment. Policy and regulatory reforms can contribute to an expansion of
youth employment and income generation. The following are examples of the types of
reform that may be needed:
• Relaxing the tax regime for youth start-ups
• Facilitating access to financial services for youth
• Facilitating access to markets and linkages with large enterprises (e.g., through subcontracting)
• Strengthening the vocational training curriculum and investing in training capacity
• Investment in technology, infrastructure, and services that enhance youth learning
and knowledge exchange, such as youth ICT centers
• Investment in improved health and safety conditions in workplaces, with sensitivity
to gender equality, HIV/AIDS, and disability.
Some socio-cultural environments perpetuate beliefs and associations that discourage
youth from potentially important avenues of employment and income generation. An
62 Sierra Leone Ministry of Education, Youth and
Sports. Youth Employment Scheme (YES). Mid-
Term Review of 2009 Projects: Commonalities,
Innovation and Employment Potential. 2009.
Livelihoods & Economic Recovery in Crisis Situations