The employment of youths in any country is
highly crucial to its development. When high-quality employment measures are
put in place, it takes the country to transition from low-income to
middle-income, and then to high-income status. But this is not feasible for
youths in Asia as many of them are struggling to secure decent jobs.
In case you are not aware, the young
population – i.e., people aged 15 to 24 – make up 650 million of the entire
population of the Pacific region and Asia. In India and the Republic of China,
the youths make up almost 20% of the total population of these countries. More
than 200 million of these youths live in urban centers.
Korea once suffered severe challenges with
youth employment, which followed a pattern that started as far back as 2009.
Firms hired experienced – and decidedly older – workers in 2001 and avoid
young, agile workers in a bid to bring down the costs of training new workers.
So, when the crisis hit, the majority of
the workers that were dismissed were those that were close to their retirement
ages and very young workers with ages ranging from 15 to 19.
And nowadays, substandard training and
education are pushing youngsters into informal sector jobs with meager pay
packages and contemptible working conditions.
The task, therefore, of creating adequate
opportunities for youths in Southeast Asia is daunting and accentuates the need
for policymakers to ensure that education at every level is expanded and to
adjust vocational, technical, and higher education to the ever-changing
requirements in the job market.
Youths around the world in general – and
in Southeast Asia in particular – possess enormous potential for speeding up or
facilitating economic growth via the creation of assets, productive employment,
and investment.
Youths can drive societies and economies
to be more productive and vibrant. However, the potential of these youths can
be realized only when they enjoy the benefits of high-quality education. When
they receive training from early childhood, adolescence, and beyond, their
latent gifts and potentials will come to the fore, thus creating an environment
or society that is in tune with the times and seasons of this age.
Educated youths will also be able to jump
on the bandwagon of technology and take part actively in the technological
advancement that is taking over Southeast Asia. They will be equipped with the
right skills that will enable them to hold their own among counterparts from
other nations around the world.
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