Otniel Hembapu
Despite the youth unemployment crisis faced by the country, executive chairperson of the National Youth Council, Sharonice Busch has emphasised the importance of not just creating jobs to ease the mounting pressure but decent jobs are needed.
Sharing her thoughts with New Era on the allocation of N$25 million to the NYC for the 2023/24 fiscal year by the Ministry of Youth, Sport and National Service, Busch said the amount is sufficient to help the NYC further strengthen and roll out its various youth empowerment programmes, especially their flagship Credit for Youth in Business scheme and capacity building initiatives.
“We understand that one of the most important ways to address youth unemployment is to support youth-owned businesses, such that they are able to grow their production capacity and ultimately create more jobs. This can be done in different ways; such as by improving access to financing through the Credit for Youth in Business, providing technical assistance, capacity development and training of youth entrepreneurs to ensure that they operate optimally.”
According to the 2018 labour force survey, Namibia’s unemployment rate stood at 33.4% with a youth unemployment rate of 46.1%, of which men accounted for 43.7% and females for a staggering 48.5%. The UN estimated Namibia’s youth unemployment to be at 50% by the end of 2021.
“The Credit for Youth in Business programme is presently under review to measure its impact thus far, and determine whether there are changes necessary to ensure that it responds to the changing contexts of youth enterprise; and if so, what those changes are,” said Busch.
While she acknowledged the urgent need for government and its various agencies to come with concrete solutions to address youth unemployment, she, however, highlighted that is equally important to create decent, equitable and secure jobs for the youth.
“Youth unemployment is a crisis in Namibia; it cannot be disputed. This year, we will work with various stakeholders to address youth unemployment by promoting decent work, in line with Sustainable Development Goals decent work and economic growth provision. For us, it is not enough that we create employment; we must commit to rapidly create decent work that offers security of employment and safe working conditions, fair income, equal treatment, social protection and prospects for personal development.”
She said youth empowerment should at all times go hand in hand with capacity building and access to the latest trends of entrepreneurship and financing.
“Capacity building is important for us, as it allows us to equip young people with the necessary skills to play their roles in the youth development agenda. This is also why we have youth organisations affiliated to us, whom we support financially and otherwise. They must be trained and developed to be able to implement projects and programmes that are in line with youth development and nation building.
“It is important to recognise that the N$25 million allocation to the NYC is in fact an increase from the previous financial year’s allocation, and from a statistical point of view, when you compare the allocation to the population of young people in the country, it may be concluded that the budget vote is not sufficient to support young people. However, as per the Third National Youth Policy, youth development is being streamlined into the national development agenda; which means the responsibility is shared across all offices, ministries and agencies of government,” she added.
– ohembapu@nepc.com.na