Generating Swift, Viable Solutions to the Global Youth Unemployment Crisis

By: Summer Yasmin

2011 was a year of “rises”; rising populations, rising unemployment, rising costs, rising rebellions, rising occupations. Each of these factors shares not only a cause and effect relationship but they are the parallel realities that define the state of the world’s youth today. Simply put these were the precursors for the Occupy Wall Street and Arab Spring movements.

“Unemployment affects 70% to 80% of young people in the Arab region and is the major cause of the revolutions of the Arab Spring,” said Heba Nassar, vice-president of community and environment service sector at the University of Cairo.

Unemployment and particularity youth unemployment have become a global crisis. Starting with the Eurozone countries, Spain and Greece have youth unemployment rates approaching an astonishing 50% with the largest jump being in Ireland with rates jumping from 10% to 30% (source, Thomas Reuters datastream, Eurostat). The U.S. isn’t doing much better with youth unemployment coming in at 18.1%, 31% for African Americans, both signifying sharp rises (U.S. department of labor). Compared to general unemployment rates, youth unemployment is higher, especially in the Middle East where we have seen the drastic effects of this all throughout 2011. Youth unemployment has obvious resonating affects namely, increased crime rates, rise in student loan debts (particularly in the U.S.), general unhappiness and depression, lower life expectancy, higher chances of heart attack later in life and suicide. Thus it is essential to acknowledge the problem of youth unemployment at the root level, and generate swift, viable and affective solutions.

The matter of employment (or lack of it) starts at the preparation phase. Since it could take decades to even begin to see a shift in global economic conditions, it is unrealistic to develop solutions around this (at least not in the short term). Instead, energy should be put into helping young people survive and ultimately thrive in the workforce as it is. Schools, colleges and universities are where these solutions can be initiated. With limited resources to work with, initiatives have to be kept simple and easily applicable.

Co-operative education programs in Universities: where students attend school and work in their field on alternating terms. These are common in “hard skill” based disciplines like engineering and have been proven successful (especially when supported by strong, established companies). However programs that are based upon “soft skills” like arts and humanities don’t often have well established co-op programs and even if they do, they don’t offer the kinds of opportunities that say, a computer science co-op program would. Co-op provides youth with the opportunities to explore their chosen field in an applicable way, so by the end of a 4 year program (with alternating school and work terms) a graduate has had time to find their niche and doesn’t waste time doing this post-graduation. They are then able to apply to and zero in on exactly what they are skilled for. A good paying co-op job reduces student loans, helping to eliminate financial pressure when looking for a job as a new graduate and most obvious, co-op provides solid, applicable experience so when a student graduates they already have a full, competitive resume. Many successful co-op students are hired full time by their employers upon graduation because they don’t have to be trained. It’s a win-win situation.

Formalizing a place for youth in the job market by governments: Governments should be offering incentives to businesses for hiring a certain percentage of youth graduates. For underdeveloped countries where youth from lower income families are often marginalized, this approach would have to be solidified by applicable laws.

Encouraging Innovation: Teaching youth, (within the university setting, prior to entering the workforce) how to create or generate their own job opportunities. This would require supporting youth initiatives in a variety of fields, not just technology (where they are more common). University programs should include sections/seminars that position youth to start exploring new ways to apply their knowledge and attempt to forge a new and innovative place in the work force based on their education. Emphasis should be put on establishing an understanding of the state of the job markets that relate to one’s particular field of study in order to identify “loop holes” that could translate into jobs.

Mentally preparing young people for the challenge of finding a job in a struggling economy: Be direct and honest about the challenges that will be faced and use prior success stories (especially when they can be found within the same educational discipline) to guide young people in developing realistic yet hopeful work goals. Encourage and learn from Alumni experience.

We live as part of a global community. As such, economic shifts have ripple effects worldwide. The issue of youth unemployment is a matter of international concern affecting all facets of society in some way. Although solutions to this problem must be tweaked to suit the specific needs and resources of any given country, they share a common character in that they must be efficient, cost effective, and produce short term results that will be of benefit in the long run. After all, some of the most renown companies were founded in a time of economic hardship: Microsoft, CNN, and even GE! The key is accepting the situation and working with what we have to make it better. We must get creative about it.