CELEBRATING YOUTH DAY

“Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward” – International Youth Day, August 12th, 2013

“It is important to emphasize the positive contribution young migrants make to societies of origin, transit and destination – economically and by enriching the social and cultural fabric. Most work hard to earn a living and improve their circumstances. The remittances they send to support families in their home countries are a major contributor to economies worldwide.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                      -Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

In today’s increasingly globalized and interconnected world in which more people migrate than ever before in human history, young migrants between 15 and 24 have become powerful agents of change and development. By mid-2010, the total number of migrant youth was estimated at 27 million, representing an eighth of the 214 million international migrants in the world today.

Young migrants, either alone or accompanied by family members, leave their homes for different reasons. Some leave in search of jobs, others to flee persecution.

On International Youth Day 2013, which has as its theme “Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward”, IOM highlights the importance of engaging, enabling and empowering youth to fulfil their development potential. Migration continues to be the greatest poverty reduction strategy, presenting both challenges and opportunities for young people.

“As the number of young people migrating through both regular and irregular channels has risen, safe and regular migration must be promoted to reduce the risks of exploitation and abuse. Sharing information on migration options is essential, because it increases awareness and enables young people to make well-informed decisions,” says IOM Director General William Lacy Swing.

It is essential that youth are aware of the risks and opportunities of migration, that their voices are heard throughout all parts of society, and that they are empowered to influence their own lives and frame their futures – wherever this may be. In today’s increasingly globalized and interconnected world, youth represent the most interconnected generation of all

Youth Migration in Nepal: lack of opportunity still fueling youth migration

Citing better employment and education opportunities, many young people have been leaving the country for greener pastures year after year.
Thousands of young people migrate each day, leaving behind spouses, children and family in the pursuit of a better life. According to a press release issued by Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON), the figure stands at an average of 1500 youths departing for employment each day. The government’s statistics also states that excluding India, there are 3 million young people working and studying abroad.

A recent report of World Bank cites that Nepal is the sixth largest recipient of remittance in terms of percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The volume of remittance inflow also puts Nepal as the fourth largest in South Asia

 

i have collected above information from following links as a reference:

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=59386

http://www.un.org

www.iom.in

Youth Employment: Decent Work for All Young People, Everywhere

Youth Employment: Decent Work for All Young People, Everywhere

Youth  is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence and awareness of our interdependence as members of a community. Youth is a more fluid category than a fixed age-group. However, age is the easiest way to define this group, particularly in relation to education and employment. Therefore “youth” is often indicated as a person between the age where he/she may leave compulsory education, and the age at which he/she finds his/her first employment. This latter age limit has been increasing, as higher levels of unemployment and the cost of setting up an independent household puts many young people into a prolonged period of dependency.

The world is facing a worsening youth employment crisis: young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and almost 73 million youth worldwide are looking for work. The ILO has warned of a “scarred” generation of young workers facing a dangerous mix of high unemployment, increased in activity and precarious work in developed countries, as well as persistently high working poverty in the developing world.

Based on the UN World Youth Report 2012, out of 1.2 billion youths in the world, close to 75 million are unemployed. Thus, youth unemployment is a serious global problem. Young people without jobs not only face destitution but also become a source of political instability and socioeconomic disruption. The impact of high youth unemployment is particularly severe in developing countries where poverty is rampant and the social security system to support the unemployed is non-existent.

Key issue:

• Many young people in countries across the world often work unacceptably long hours under informal, intermittent and insecure work arrangements
• Young people are often working below their potential, in part-time, temporary, casual or seasonal employment
• Most of the world’s youth work in the informal economy, both in rural and urban areas. They lack adequate incomes, social protection, security and representation.
• The “transition gap” between completion of initial education and training, and entry to employment has tended to lengthen; those who find work tends to spend more time in temporary, insecure jobs.
• In some countries, many young people fail to find jobs on completing their education or training, even when they have gone relatively far in the educational system (the “educated unemployed”) because of the mismatch of their skills with labour market requirements.
• Lack of opportunities for work experience, combined with the absence of adequate labour market information, vocational guidance and counselling, poor job placement mechanisms and inadequate demand exacerbate the problem of getting a decent job
• There are a number of factors that impact on the ability of some young people to get a decent job while not on others. These factors include discrimination, economic hardship and access issues