UNEMPLOYMENT
...ferred to as structural unemployment. In this type jobs are available but the labourforce do not possess the skills necessary to perform the jobs. This usually occurs when industries introduce new technology to produce goods, as a result workers are retrenched because they are not skilled enough to use this technology. A fall in a country’s productivity, less money being generated within the country because of all the persons who are unemployed, which in turn leads to further unemployment, are just some of the effects of unemployment. But the effects of this problem among youth seem to be the most challenging of all. For one thing, recent graduates turn out to be the ones that are affected the most, unfortunately these school leavers are at a disadvantage because employers seek candidates who possess some experience in their field of work. Consequently, they experience frustration that leads to many of society’s’ social dysfunction. Crime in the form of robberies, kidnapping, drug trafficking and prostitution are just some problems created. The effect of unemployment on the individual is that the absence of a job will cause an individual’s independence to be restrained. Individuals need income to provide their basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter, so when they are not able to do so on their own, psychological and emotional problems will occur causing a low self-esteem to emerge, all these issues will affect the mental health of the individual leading to suicidal tendencies and affecting the relationships with friends and family. The migration of individuals is another harmful effect of unemployment, when jobs are not available to them in their country of residence, eventually they will seek jobs in metropolitan areas, these states or countries they perceive as prosperous The skills they carry with them causes a “brain drain” to take effect on their host country and the country’s resources would not be utilized since there would not be many citizens to use them up. We have to find solutions to unemployment among youth. One way for a youth group to help to reduce unemployment is to encourage self-employment among young people. Taking a stand together, through letters and meetings with government officials, a creation of a skills development programme can be effective. As a result small business ventures can be encouraged by the Government, chiefly the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Science and Technology sponsoring skills training activities for youth, similar to their ‘on the job training programme” where young people can obtain employment in different ministries learning the...