TIME TO TACKLE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT CHALLENGE (2)

By NBF News

Whether seeking for jobs or making a marked difference when on the job, a number of human capital development professionals have revealed that many of the unemployed youths should understand that 'having a good attitude and ability to communicate effectively' is a must if they actually want to be a success in this fast-paced, modern world.

As regards the importance of successful communication, Detoun Ogwo, an expert in etiquette, once threw this poser in one of her write-ups: 'How else would you convince the employer to hire you, encourage a customer to buy from you, if you can't communicate efficiently? Written and oral communication is a must in the workplace.'

As the increasingly disturbing youth unemployment situation stands now, the government in conjunction with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) must without delay introduce a sequence of interventions. This, they can achieve, through enhanced investment in small and medium enterprises to create more jobs to absorb most of these qualified, but yet, idle youths.

Consequent upon an observed mismatch between the requisite job skills needed and competencies of most graduates, education stakeholders should review their academic curricula and design their programmes to suit actual job demands in the modern economy.

With allegations that several graduates cannot defend their certificates during job hunt, just as authorities in higher institutions should impart on their students the need to internalise the object of the aphoristic saying: 'As you make your bed, so you must lie on it.' If they are not there (school), when others are there and busy learning, there is technically nothing for such truant learners to justify their supposed scholarship when faced with the realities of life after graduation.

In an attempt to prevent genuinely qualified but unemployed ones from frustration and possible life of crimes, the government must institute unemployment benefits or compensation scheme for those temporarily unemployed.

Through this, ours no doubt, will progressively gravitate towards a crime/terror-free society, which is currently a rarity in the land. 'Idle hands,' people say 'are the devil's workshop'; the capable, energetic but unemployed young population need to be meaningfully and gainfully engaged.

Kayode is a media professional and CEO, Wordkraft Communications Limited, Lagos.