Namibian adolescent girls and young people are missing out on the labour market due to a disconnect that exists between training needs and employment opportunities, a New Labour Market Assessment report has revealed.
Hoosen Rasool, Lead Consultant for FRResearch Consultancy, said the assessment aims to guide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for young women who mostly struggle with financial aid to further their education, lack of employable skills and training, thus the report is critical to chart an economic pathway for these women.
“The Labour Market Assessment Report, provides guidance to what is a complex and dynamic environment, involving various stakeholders making numerous decisions at different times, and has gathered intelligence on current and future skills needs for education and training, employment, and investment opportunities to support better matching of training and jobs,” she said while presenting the report on Thursday.
The report which was commissioned by Project HOPE Namibia in five health districts of Khomas, Tsumeb, Omuthiya, Onandjokwe and Katima appraises the possible labour market opportunities for Namibian youth.
Youth and Sports Minister Agnes Tjongarero said the Namibian labour market has been unable to fully absorb all entrants into the Namibian work force and fulfil the capacity and the potential that Namibian youth can bring to the economy.
“Consequently, unemployment in Namibia is high, with youth and women being most affected. Namibia’s challenges in fully meeting the employment potential of youth include a relative lack of skills development, unstable labour market experience, gender disparity, lack of experience, inappropriate or lack of career guidance in schools and a mismatch between the labour market demand and supply in terms of skills and knowledge,” she said.
According to the 2018 Labour Force Survey, Namibia’s unemployment rate stood at 33.4% with a youth unemployment rate of 46.1%, the average of 43% unemployed being young men and 48.5% unemployed being young women.
The Labour Market Assessment study also identifies prospective training providers, employers, sectors, and occupations to inform skills development programmes with the ultimate objective of addressing skilled labour force demand in the local labour market in Namibia, improving employability, social mobility, and inclusion.
In addition, it recognises that anticipating and matching opportunities can help develop a skilled workforce with the right mix of skills to promote job quality.
The assessment identifies seven economic growth sectors in the districts where DREAMS is implemented including wholesale and retail trade, artisanal sectors, information technology, and hospitality.
The report also points out specific occupations within each sector as potential employment and self-employment avenues for young women.
