OPUWO - Teaching technical skills in Namibian elementary schools is essential to combating youth unemployment and it should be included in early education, as many jobs demand these skills.

Councillor Wilhelmina Nashihwa, a member of the management committee of the Opuwo Town Council, said this during the public hearing on the motion of youth unemployment by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources and Community Development at Opuwo on Tuesday.

The committee is conducting regional consultations with young people and other relevant stakeholders on the motion on youth unemployment proposed in October 2022 by member of Parliament Inna Hengari.

Nashihwa said technical skills are in short supply in the Kunene region, notably in mining and agriculture.

She said there is an increasing demand for technicians in most fields of work and educating children while they are still young will help the government address the unemployment crisis as the majority will be fully qualified once they reach employment age.

The youth unemployment rate in Kunene currently stands at 53%, committee chairperson Nono Katjingisiua said.

“The youth unemployment rate is a concerning trend that demands significant involvement from both the government and other key parties,” Katjingisiua stated.

Sau Kakongo, a senior youth officer in the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service in the Kunene region, also spoke at the hearing, stating that the region lacks tertiary institutions, which denies youth the education required to master these skills.

Kakongo noted that tertiary institutions are not easily accessible for the local youth, making it difficult to continue their studies.

She also suggested that the youth unemployment rate could be lowered by funding start-ups with no-collateral loans.

“Loans to youth projects and start-ups should be provided without collateral to motivate the youth as most youth businesses or start-ups do not have collateral,” she said.

The committee is made up of Katjingisiua (chairperson), Yvette Araes, Winnie Moongo, and Maria Mombula. - Nampa