YASIN JANJUACENTRE FOR POVERTY REDUCTION AND SOCIAL

POLICY DEVELOPMENT (CPRSPD)

Youth Engagement Strategy (YES)

Issues, Challenges and Opportunities

Background

Demographic Dividend Almost 35% in the age range of 15-24 years 63% of the population below 25 years

Growing concerns about Radicalization Joining extremist terror networks Aggression and Violence Lack of Citizenship among Pakistani Youth

Pakistani Youth: Issues and ChallengesPakistani Youth: Issues and Challenges

Leveraging from Risk to StrengthLeveraging from Risk to Strength

Economic Slowdown Lack of employment

opportunitiesYouth demographic bulgeLow literacy among youthNo life or vocational skillsNo career counselingLack of citizenshipEconomy and Youth at

Risk

Youth TrajectoriesIt’s my life

(harnessing potential) Opening Windows of

Opportunities Facilitating Youth

Entrepreneurship

Youth Engagement Strategy

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Youth and Pakistan’s Economy

Demographic DividendDemographic Dividend Shriveled EconomyShriveled Economy

Issues

Growth Rate Declined From 5% on average to less than 2% in 2010 Slowdown in employment growth Poor perception of global investor Terrorism /Bad investment climate Low tax to GDP ratio Declining exports and FDI Increasing debt burden

Global Economic Shocks

Issues

Education - NER 57%13-15% completes secondary education1% of total labor force has technical skillsYouth entrants in labor force

With no education No skills

Missing Facilities / MarketsSocial and Economic justiceEconomy lacks capacity to absorb

Challenges

Large Informal SectorFormal Sector shrinking

27.2% in 2007-08 to 26.7% in 2008-09 Outmoded job market entry mechanism

Informal training under ‘Ustad Shagird’ arrangement Immersion in family Businesses Formal training in vocational and technical training

institutes and short-term programs On-Job-Training(OJT) Formal apprenticeship

Socio – Cultural Influences on job marketNo Career counseling mechanisms

Pathways to skill acquisition and job market

Illiterate

Literate

School dropouts

Pool of prospective trainees for informal skill acquisitions and job market

Family Business in Informal and Formal Sectors

Apprenticeship

(Ustad-Shagird) in Informal and Formal sectors

Through Family

Through Family and Acquaintances

Through Friends and Peers

Through Mentors / Local Influentials

On-the-job Training

On Competitive Basis through open recruitment process

Public and Private Sector

Economy and Youth at Risk

Increasing youth dependency Lower economic growthYouth share in employment 40.9%Youth Contribution to GDP 18-28% (Avg 23%)Increasing unemploymentResults

Redundancy of skills Lower future wages Poverty Vulnerability Aggression and violence Lower prospects of well being

Immediate need to tackle these issues, otherwise

Cluelessness and Helplessness

ENGAGING YOUTHUNLOCKING THEIR POTENTIAL

Leveraging from Risk to Strength

Objectives

Understanding needsProvision of community infrastructure for

youthEducation and SkillsEconomic OpportunitiesGlobalized & Socialized Youth

Understanding Youth Trajectories

Trajectory of learning and life skill development

Trajectory of transitioning form learning to work

Trajectories of citizenship and responsibilities

Trajectories of financial independence and autonomy in relation to ones family and married life

Its My Life

Source: Sandra Franke (2010)

Research on Youth Issues

Youth dependency, Youth Education and Skill DevelopmentYouth Employment, Livelihood, and

Entrepreneurship Youth Social Capital and NetworkingYouth Sexual and Reproductive HealthYouth Violence and Suicide PreventionYouth Drug PreventionYouth Security and Justice Issues

Impart Skills

Don’t Consider youth restless rather harness potential

Don’t treat them as problem rather strengthImpart Life Skills

building team spirit Motivation sharing ideas problem solving skills conflict resolution Assertiveness communication and networking managing workload time management decision making and graduating from fellowship to leadership

Opening Windows of Opportunities

Access to Quality Education

Access to Health Services

Access to FinanceAccess to MarketsFeedback in Policy

MakingParticipation in

Governance, Accountability and Compliance

Facilitating Entrepreneurship

business environment for youth business skill training, mentorship access to finance.

re-zoning of spaces for commercial and private use markets, roads, transportations social and economic networking forums, enforcement of copy right laws, dispute resolution systems, and venture capitals for ambitious start ups.

Government Facilitator -Rules and Regulations Provision of missing facilities Provider of public community infrastructures

New Development Approach

Recommendations

It’s your life and we want to hear from you