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Day 2 - Youth Employment Summit Targets Education and IT

Issues discussed during the second day of the Youth Employment Summit (YES) in Alexandria, Egypt, included education, information technology, school-to-work transitions and the development of YES Country Networks.

Representatives of Pakistan, Honduras, the Philippines, Georgia (formerly of the USSR), South Africa and Jamaica outlined their developments of youth employment networks in their respective countries. Venesha Phillips, 28, of Jamaica, spoke passionately about her country's YES network and the strides it has made in improving employment prospects for youth. "We were bordering on social helplessness of our young people," she said. "I think the country networks are coming at a critical time. I'm really scared of what's happening in Jamaica with HIV, so that is our main plan of action. HIV/AIDS is huge in Jamaica and it's troubling."

Philippino delegate Catherine Kamping shared details of her country network's focus on forestry, eco-waste, eco-tourism and renewable energy. She related the success story of the Philippines' caravan of training, which delivers skills and knowledge to youth throughout the country. The Philippines has a population of 80 million, of which half are youth. The majority of youth (70 percent) are unemployed and most of those are young women. Conference organizers are developing informational booklets so other countries may develop their own YES country networks.

Later conference sessions included speakers from UNESCO, the World Economic Forum and the UN Population Fund, who outlined their priorities in the battle against youth unemployment. "Labour market information (LMI) is a major issue," said Professor Niall O'Higgins of the University of Selerno and formerly with the International Labour Organization. "There is too little and inadequate LMI. Better links need to be made between schools and the labour market, and young people need to be involved in policy-making."

Hafsat Abiola, a young human rights activist from Nigeria who lost both her parents in the country's struggle for democracy, explained how young Nigerians have abandoned hope in their country's future. "I had difficulty organizing young people-most of the people I talked to wanted me to help them get visas to Europe and the United States. In Nigeria we lose thousands every year to migration."

A panel discussion on school-to-work transitions emphasized partnerships as the key to successful transition to work initiatives. Speakers called for tri-party partnerships between youth, education systems and employers. They also encouraged employers to connect for a more unified approach to their needs, and urged educators to focus on training for growth industries. "Make sure what people are apprenticing in has a future," said Monika Aring, Director at Ohio State University. "In many developing countries, people are apprenticing in sectors that don't have a sustainable future. Nothing is worse than being a young person and having dreams for the future-and seeing no future ahead of yourself."

Information communication technology was identified as a key learning tool for youth around the world. "Traditionally, young people were not seen as the experts," said Jennifer Corriero, the 22-year-old Canadian founder of TakingITGlobal, who was recently selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow for 2002. "Now young people are able to have competencies in an area that is a critical fuel of this society. There is a shift taking place-we have the opportunity to gain a great amount of power in this paradigm shift."

Australian delegate Richard Curtin, a professor at the University of Canberra, explained how IT can enhance entrepreneurial endeavours in low-income countries. He offered the example of Ecosandals.com, a footwear company that has put a Nairobi shantytown on the global map. Local residents make sandals from the rubber of discarded tires, and sell them through their Web site. Sales of the product have escalated since the venture was brought online, and revenues are being used to build a school in the impoverished community.

For more info on the Youth Employment Summit, go to http://www.youthemploymentsummit.org.