Govt. says lack of jobs for youth getting worse

Youth unemployment in Samoa is getting worse.

Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour, Auelua Samuelu

Enari, blames the lack of access to financial resources as the cause.

“It is simply getting worse in our view due to among other things external factors highlighted above,” he said.

“(The reason for this is) insufficient financial resources available to the youth to enable establishment of their own businesses through skill sets learnt.”

Auelua was asked for a comment in response to an Asian Development Bank (A.D.B.) report that at 16.1 per cent, Samoa has the highest youth unemployment in the South-East Asia-Pacific region.

“While this information is a cause for concern, one wouldn’t only wait to read about it from International report, but simply look around and the evidence is overwhelmingly visible,” he said.

“The issue then would be; what are the causal factors of such high youth unemployment in Samoa?”

The C.E.O. said that while he was happy to answer the questions, he believed that the Ministry responsible for Women, Community and Social Development (M.W.C.S.D.) had a specific division dealing with Youth issues including economic empowerment initiatives.

“The M.W.C.S.D. under its Youth Division is also solely responsible for providing assistance inclusive financial assistance under its youth programs being funded by government or even overseas donors,” he said.

“Without wanting to interfere with their initiatives and considering that you have approached us to inquire how we feel about this and what we are doing to contribute to minimising and eventually eliminating this problem.”

M.W.C.S.D. was contacted for comment, but none was forthcoming at the time of press.

However, Auelua said in presenting this factual information he must commend the Asian Development Bank for for eventually prioritising this concern and Government would be encouraged that this doesn’t stop at highlighting the problem but also enhances their support in responding to nationally developed strategies aimed at creating genuine employment for not only the youth but also to include disadvantaged groups and the women.

“You will note for instance that the Ministry for Women developed a National Youth Policy and Strategic Plan in conjunction with I think U.N.I.C.E.F. sometime back in 2006,” he said.

“The question would be, to what extent have our development partners, in good faith supported further issues associated with enabling actual implementation of that plan?

“The Youth identified concerns inhibiting their self development some of which are aimed at creating entrepreneurs of them. But how can this realistically be achieved when there is a glaring problem of inadequate access to finance for them to for instance purchase tools to make them more efficient?

“How are the developed partners assisting when terms set result in high interest rates being charged on soft finance avenues available not only to the Youth but other entrepreneurs as well?”

When asked what M.C.I.L. was doing to address the worsening situation he said his Ministry runs an apprenticeship scheme and also a Private Sector Support Facility.

“Whilst our pivotal role is to provide an enabling environment to the Private-sector so that they can be able to prosper hence creating employment for Samoans including youth, we endeavor to ensure that prospective employees are connected to prospective employers,” said Auelua.

“Through coordination of Jobseekers Training on basic skills such as job seeking skills, interviewing skills, how to write a proper resume or vitae, M.C.I.L., assists unemployed people to get jobs. “The ministry also administers the

Apprenticeship Scheme and the Apprenticeship Trade Testing Scheme for up-skilling of our trades people for the provision of more employment opportunities in the trades area.

“The Ministry undertakes employment surveys i.e Labour Market Survey, Minimum Wage Survey, Labour Force Survey plus periodic surveys for employment assessment at the stipulated time with outputs are important especially for National Planning Ministry and Private-Sector.

“Through the Ministry’s Private sector support Facility, the Ministry working in close collaboration with proactive development partners is able to avail support aimed towards assisting Private-sector Development.”

Despite this, Aeulua said more could be done to see you become gainfully employed.

“(We) need more sensitisation to youth to take formal education seriously considering most formal jobs require educated youth,” he said.

“For the school dropouts that cannot be re-absorbed, vocational training as an option needs to be prioritised.

“The International Financing institutions need to have these factors in mind in setting appropriate interest rates of capital borrowed or sourced to enable development in this sector.

“A clear message needs to be sent out to the youth that planned agriculture is an alternative to income generation and employment.

“The media needs to publicise more success programmes from other youth within the Pacific and the world are doing to overcome unemployment issues in support of Government initiatives.”

The C.E.O. said that the community could assist M.C.I.L. in addressing this issue by utilising available opportunities established by Government.

“While also taking personal initiative to innovate, encourage their children to obtain formal education,” he said.

“But as mentioned in my introduction there is a relevant Ministry for Youth and our response is simply a contribution to this issue which we can work together to resolve.”