Youth
Unemployment A Serious Threat to Youth and
National Development
By Ethel Sillah |
Standard Times
December 23, 2005
“Youth unemployment in the country is a
serious problem that needs to be addressed with
great interest for the sake of national development,”
says Christiana Lappia of the Voice of Youth.
However, to get an in-depth
knowledge on the topic the Voice of Youth Radio
Project located at No. 41 Main Motor Road, Congo
Cross, embarked on a series of interviews with
youths at the Aberdeen Community in the West
end of Freetown. Commenting on the topic “Youth
Unemployment a Serious Threat to Youth and National
Development,” a sixth-form school pupil,
Mariama Sandy, said, “Education without
employment is a waste of time and resources
because the ultimate source of livelihood is
employment.”
She further suggested that
job opportunities should be given to senior
secondary, tertiary and University graduates
in order to equip them for future jobs and meaningful
jobs and meaningful careers ahead of them. Speaking
on the same topic another participant, Moses
Kanu of the Albert Academy, outlined factors
hindering youth development in the country,
one of which is the non-availability of jobs
after learning all the book in the world. He
adds that some offices request for a three year
minimum work experience before granting jobs
to their employees, “But how is that possible
when after school or college no one dares to
employ you or train you?” He concluded
that if only these areas were addressed with
concern then Sierra Leone will move into a positive
direction.
Mr. Alfred Kona, a prominent
welder at Pademba Road, said youths are more
interested in white-collar jobs than technical
and vocational jobs like welding. “They
always want to dress in their long trousers
with a neck-tie and sit behind the desk in a
well furnished office,” he said, and ended
up with a piece of advice that youths should
learn to work with their hands and minds.
Commenting on the topic,
Voice of Youth’s Alarini Bah encouraged
the Youth Ministry and agencies working with
youths to implement projects that will focus
primarily on youth unemployment
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