One person’s vision of eliminating youth unemployment
The problem of youth unemployment has reached crisis point almost everywhere. This is now a global problem and not just a problem for Nigeria. But the approach to solving the problem here has not moved past the Nigerian penchant for throwing money at it with all kinds of ill-conceived and half-baked programmes that just create other problems like encouraging corruption without any solution. The seriousness of the problem demands that we do something quick before it is too late. We are already seeing some aspects of what happens when you have your most active population idle and hopeless. The rising crime wave and the general insecurity around us are products of our general inability to gainfully employ our youths.
The unemployment problem has many sides to it. The most significant contributor to unemployment today is the structural changes that have occurred in the workplace. The nature of economies have changed, the workplace has also changed. There are just no traditional jobs, at least not in the pure sense as we knew them in the past. The productivity of the Internet age and the advances in technology which have created new opportunities have also made traditional jobs obsolete. As technology advances, more and more of these jobs we used to know will continue to disappear. Traditional jobs like typist and computer operators are gone forever.
The one job category that everyone now agrees will be here permanently is self-employment and entrepreneurship. As long as we live, people will always create a new type of industry, product and associated jobs. Becoming an entrepreneur and being self-employed is not for everybody for a variety of reasons: some people are not inclined towards it; others don’t have what it takes; and yet others don’t have the resources, even when they have an idea of what to do and have the skills to do it. We must make the option of self-employment readily available. Despite the much-talked-about finance as the obstacle, any good entrepreneur will find financing if they have a good idea and a good plan. The resources governments are throwing away in the name of trying to create jobs should be better directed.
I believe that these monies should be directed at apprenticeship, because this is the quickest way to get people to start work immediately and give them a chance to find out how things are done in organised businesses. It will also give them skills quickly. There are thousands of businesses that need help but can’t afford it, and there are many youths out there who will give up anything to get the opportunity to work. Putting these two sides together will go a long way in drastically reducing unemployment.
I recently attended a programme put together by Tara Fela-Durotoye, the CEO of House of Tara. The young lady presented to us the kind of programmes we should seek out and support. Her solution to the youth unemployment is closest to what I have described above; the simplicity of it astounded me. It had all the ingredients of a solution that if supported institutionally can produce wonderful results. What attracted me was the well-written invite letter, which given the painstaking details was obviously a product of a beautiful mind. She has found a way to create jobs and a business for herself and others in a way that is sustainable and regenerative. The growth potentials are enormous. She has found a way to translate the old Avon and Mary Kay cosmetics model into her personal brand that is obviously acceptable. She has managed to turn her hubby and passion for makeup into a successful business. She started 15 years ago while still a student at the University of Lagos. Today, she is creating jobs for others.
“Building lives” is the theme of the House of Tara “100 Voices”, a book of inspiration put together to collect success stories to celebrate young people who have chosen to be employers rather than employees – “those who have chosen to be business owners by permanently erasing their names from the statistics of the unemployed youth in a country where they are tagged a ‘crisis’,” as Tara puts it. “Instead of the usual newness, energy and industry associated with youths, we manage to turn them into an indolent and hopeless group.”
Her example is what we need to fight youth unemployment. We need to help our youths to create jobs for themselves. The House of Tara example is very simple but practical. For only N15,000 she puts young people through a short skills training in makeup, they get a working kit and become masters of their own destiny.
If you are in doubt about the viability of these businesses, count how many times women make up daily, the number of special occasions like weddings where makeup is a given, and then look at the entertainment and fashion industries where makeup artistry is now a known profession. This is not just about Tara and the wonderful work she is doing to help the youths employ themselves and earn their way in life; it is about how we can do simple things that will really impact the lives of our youths.
The government should commence a work programme that will fund internships and apprenticeships throughout the country. There is no better way to learn than through internships and apprenticeships. The massive graduate unemployment will be impacted reasonably by these kinds of programmes. Forget all the current programmes where they throw money around with no results. The programme I am talking about will encourage companies to take on internship recruits paid by them but refundable through tax credits. This way, the companies that can participate will be those that give meaningful jobs that can impart skills, and will be glad to write off the training bills against taxes due to government. Everyone benefits, the refund process will not become another bonanza because you will have to be a productive company that earns profits and can pay taxes.
Ogiemwonyi is the CEO of Partnership Investment Company Plc, Ikoyi Lagos.
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