No experience, no job; no job, no experience

Many youth experts and institutions have realized the severity of a deep cutting constraint that is facing today’s youth. In recent times especially, this issue has become more and more emphasized as unemployment continues to be deemed a national disaster.

As we know the job market today, it is a prerequisite of sorts that one must have some experience if one is to stand a chance at a job vacancy; the irony , right? In its most absurd demand, the experience is often a minimum of two years. So what happens to the fresh, well-skilled and learned scores of graduates released into the corporate world each year? They end up adding on to the already unmanageable and rapidly growing unemployed section of the demography.

However, it is clear that the Jubilee government has a genuine interest in mainstreaming the youth agenda thus presenting an obvious disconnect; a thorough disconnect between the government and the job providers both in the private and public sectors.

It is not enough to preach empowerment with no action and that said, it is evident that someone somewhere has failed.

While that stands though, finger-pointing has never worked to this great country’s advantage. So solutions need to be suggested, evaluated, decided upon and implemented.
Many youth organizations (such as the Youth Agenda, the UNV and many more) are on an impactful volunteerism hype, especially following this year’s International Youth Week during which volunteerism was largely preached and defended to be the best possible way to acquire the experience that all employers seek in prospective employees.

With devolution, it seems most favorable that volunteerism programs have a lot of potential to reach far and wide. As such, we would like to call the county and national governments to join forces in initiating and implementing volunteerism programs at county level and to come up with a legal framework to rid the programs of malicious exploitation which strains volunteerism in the world over.

If, really, we look to better the youth’s means of livelihood, since they already know that we have their best interests at heart, then let everyone under whose jurisdiction youth matters fall, work towards promoting volunteerism among the youth as a means of gaining experience prior to employment.