The Dark Cloud of Youth Unemployment

OECS Administrator Uncategorised 14 April 2024

Author : Asha Nelson

The majority of us want to live comfortably, be successful and live our own dreams. However, there are several external factors that affect the youth today such as poverty, crime, lack of educational opportunities within a territory, unemployment, one's own mind-set and the list goes on. I believe that the Caribbean region possesses a talented pool of individuals. With the right resources and opportunities available, these individuals would be able to invest in themselves.

They would be able to see themselves as a valuable product to the region and the wider world. With this positive vision, persons will be motivated to achieve, however the external factors listed above have clouded the youth’s vision. Some may even allow these clouds to rain on every strategy or plan they may come up with. How can the youth stay motivated? What can each territory within the OECS do to encourage the youth?

Statistics within the Caribbean region in relation to unemployment have affected the youth in several ways. According to data from the study, Youth are our Future: The imperative of Youth Employment for Sustainable Development (2015), commissioned by the Caribbean Development Bank stated that “Youth unemployment rates in the Caribbean are among the highest in the world. Nearly 1 in every 4 young people in the Caribbean is unemployed, compared to 2 in every 25 adults. Unemployment among young women is more than 30 %, compared to 20% for young men.”

The CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (2010) report states that “Youth unemployment in the Caribbean is high, gendered and dangerous to social stability. More than a quarter of the Region’s unemployed is between 25 and 34 years of age, including graduates of secondary and tertiary institutions. College graduates resent the fact that they are asked for 3 to 5 five years’ experience to qualify for a professional job (USAID, 2008). Females, despite their increased presence in the labour force, have higher unemployment rates, encounter greater barriers to entering the workforce, earn lower wages, and perform a higher proportion of insecure, vulnerable and unpaid jobs than their male counterparts. (UNECLAC, 2005).” Due to these challenges, the youth may decide to go abroad in search for unemployment. According to the World Bank (2008), the Caribbean region loses an excess number of professionals, students, technicians, youth to developed countries such as North America, UK, Holland and other developed countries around the world. This occurs each year primarily in back-and-forth migratory patterns.

To help combat unemployment, more career based Internships could be implemented. This would not only provide an opportunity for youth but also necessary work experience would be earned. Apprenticeship/ career training programs could be implemented as well. Moreover, these internships/programs give employers an opportunity to scout future employees.

In addition, mentorships and career counselling could help motivate and change certain mind-sets within the Caribbean youth. We as human-beings can help and encourage one another to excel through these programmes.

Without change, the region cannot move forward. Firstly, policies to assist youth employment will need to be altered / changed because high youth unemployment rates are a growing issue within the region. Policies could include a curriculum of how to be in the workforce based on the subject taught could be implemented. E.g. For science subject, teaching students how to behave, proper time management, etc. in a lab/hospital. Also, accessible tertiary education – governments could pay tuition fees in order to help out its citizens. By doing this, persons become more qualified and marketable in a country.

Businesses / employers could provide solutions by linking with schools / youth to develop skills. Entrepreneurs could come during certain periods as guest lecturers to help educate the youth. They could provide various exercises such as personality tests, mock work interviews, maintaining certain composure due to specific situations at work, etc. In addition, the International Labour Organization (2012) stated that, strengthening the link between the education system and the labour market is essential because the youth would be better equipped for the workforce. They suggested ideas such as improved access to vocational training, on-the-job training programmes, soft skills training, combination of in-classroom and workplace training and better apprenticeships.

Also, according to the following statistics from the World Bank Report (2007), School and Work: Does the Eastern Caribbean Education System Adequately Prepare Youth for the Global Economy:

“79% of GDP is produced by the service economy in the countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). This signals the importance of training people to work in this crucial sector of the economy.”

“79% of expected new jobs in St. Kitts and Nevis in 2006 were in the tourism sector. The training and education systems need to groom school leavers and unemployed youth to fill these vacancies.”

“41% of business firms in Grenada rate workers with lack of skills and education as a severe obstacle to their competitiveness; an indication that the education and training systems are not grooming school leavers and the unemployed for the available jobs.”
“48% of business firms provide training to their employees in Grenada, suggesting that the incidence of job training and further education of the OECS labour force is low by comparison to international data.”

However, there are certain programmes and policies in the region. Caribbean Development Bank (2015) stated that USAID`s A Ganar Programme is established in Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, St.Vincent & the Grenadines, Dominica and Suriname. Such a programme builds life and employability skills through sports. Also, Youth Business Trusts occur within the region. They provide finance and mentoring services to young entrepreneurs. Jamaica, St.Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Trinidad has this programme.

Caribbean Development Bank (2015) suggested policies in response to youth unemployment. These included, remedial employment training / re-training seminars, minimum wages & employment protection in Caribbean, activation measures and active labour market policies such as employment subsidies (“tax benefits that encourage firms to employ more workers”), training schemes such as technical & vocational etc.

In conclusion, yes, the unemployment rates in the Caribbean region are high. However, it is up to each country to invest in their own human capital. Countries have provided workshops, specific programmes but is it enough? We are educating and training our youth but not providing a plethora of job opportunities in every sector. Most countries in the Caribbean rely on the tourism sector for economic growth. The youth end up filling those jobs because they are available, but is the region producing and promoting square pegs in round holes? Others go abroad to follow their dreams thus contributing to brain-drain because their own country does not provide enough. WE in the Caribbean region have a melting pot of rich talents that need to be used within OUR region.

In modern Caribbean society, it is evident that the youth are pioneers of the future. Therefore, it is essential to promote regional integration so that we as ONE nation could encourage SOLIDARITY, UNITY and CHANGE. What do you think needs to be done to solve our unemployment crisis? What can you do to promote change? Let us UNITE to create remedies for this unemployment epidemic the youth is facing. The CHANGE begins with YOU! It is only through collaboration that the dark cloud of unemployment, will give way to sunshine.