In a bid to alleviate the growing unemployment rate in the region, the Omaheke Regional Council has put plans in motion to host its first-ever employment creation conference, which will primarily discuss and dissect all things related to creating new job opportunities.
The motion for the region to host an employment creation conference was moved by Kalahari constituency councillor and regional council chairperson Ignatius Kariseb during the council’s recent ordinary council meeting.
The proposal was unanimously endorsed by the meeting and all systems have now been put in place to ensure all logistics around the envisaged conference are in place and well planned.
Sharing more details on the planned conference, Omaheke chief regional officer Pecka Semba said the region faces a mammoth task of creating new employment streams for youth and women, and one of the upcoming conference’s main objectives will be to identify new and innovative ways to creating jobs.
“When you look at our current unemployment statistics as a region, we are sitting with a youth population of over 24 000 – and out of that number, 8 000 of them are unemployed and desperately in need of jobs. I’m talking about youths between 16 to 35 years of age. So, that clearly shows you we need to do something about the situation before it gets even worse. The planned conference will be one of many steps we intend to take in tackling the employment crisis we face,” said Semba.
The conference is slated for 7 to 9 June this year, and various stakeholders from the public and private sectors have been invited.
“One thing I can promise you is that this will not be another talk shop, where people will just have lots of discussions – and nothing will be done thereafter. We have invited almost all major players in the employment sector, and all their contributions and ideas will form part of the resolutions to be taken there. We have set ourselves clear targets, and we will equally put in place mechanisms to ensure that all resolutions taken at the conference are followed up and are achieved.”
Amongst the conference’s many objectives, Semba said it is to create a platform for dialogue and exchange of notes that will contribute to the development of regional strategies and policies for promoting employment growth and attracting investors from various sectors.
The gathering will also share the latest and best practices, strategies and policies that have been successful in creating jobs in other regions, while the various attendees will also be given an opportunity to share their stories and the challenges faced.
“We will also put serious emphasis on our small and medium businesses, because they are the backbone of regional economies. Our farmers and traditional leaders will also be part of the gathering. We essentially want everyone on board,” he said.
- ohembapu@nepc.com.na