Challenges Facing Youths : Solving Unemployment Equation

The Cameroonian youth, just like their peers in other countries, face challenges as they journey into maturity.     The government is however not indifferent to these challenges as there are several mechanisms put in place to guarantee a bright future for youths. This has been one of the major priorities of the seven-year mandate of the incumbent President Paul Biya.  
Statistics from the National Institute of Statistics indicate that youth unemployment stands at 39.3 per cent with male and female youth unemployment rates respectively at 47.2 and 31.3 per cent. The figures further show that amongst those employed, over 90 per cent are in the informal sector, which often lacks stability and benefits. 
Youth unemployment has significant social and economic far-reaching effects on many levels, including potential for social unrest and hindering the country's development. Cognisant of this, government has put in place broad-based measures that promote entrepreneurship and job creation, all with the objective of reducing crime and poverty rates in communities. Through the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, the government put in place a project one certificate, one job. This initiative however has to be intensified, given the number of students who graduate from institutions of higher learning every year.  Creating more vocational training centres that can equip individuals with the skills needed in the modern job market is thus essential. 
Still within the framework of unemployment, youths face limited access to resources. Difficulties in accessing loans, land, and information on business opportunities hinder youth entrepreneurship. Small and medium-sized enterprises owned by youths tend to experience the challenge of staying afloat and not folding up due to financial constraints. Small and medium-sized enterprises are significant employment generators. Supporting them ...