The Youth Employment Network Gambia Chapter (YEN), in partnership with The Gambia YMCA recently held a day’s forum on youth employment at the Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment. The theme of the forum was, ‘Walk for Employment’.

Speaking at the occasion, Sutay Jawo, deputising for the minister of Youth and Sports, said that it is a fact that youth employment is now a big challenge not only at national level, but also at global level.  He added, “it is interesting to note that youth employment is not only a social challenge, but an economic challenge as well”.

Jawo highlighted that under the dynamic and visionary leadership of His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya AJJ Jammeh, through the Youth and Sports ministry, youth employment has been prioritized in accordance with government’s endeavour to strive for sustainable youth employment for the mass teaming of young people of the country, citing the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP): 2007-2011, on Youth Dimension of Poverty. 

“Paucity of data notwithstanding, The Gambia has problem of youth unemployment especially those that have limited skills. Consequently, a big proportion of the youth are part of the people categorised as poor in The Gambia,” he revealed.

PRSP II, he said, focuses on the problem of youth and unemployment through various approaches including supporting private sector investment that creates jobs for the youth; increasing access to productive assets particularly credit by the youth, and retooling and training the youth to increase their employability.

For her part, Salimata ET Touray, the national coordinator of GAMJOBS, stated that GAMJOBS was launched in 2007 and its key objective is to create employment, develop a versatile, dynamic and efficient workforce, and create opportunities for wage and self-employment in the formal and informal economy.

According to her, a lot more needs to be done as there is need for additional approaches that will continue to further support private sector investment to create more jobs for young people, increase access to productive assets particularly credit by the youth, and retooling and training the youth to meet international standards and increase their employability at national and regional levels.

Speaking on behalf of the minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, Madi Dampha, affirmed that youth employment is now a challenge at national and global level and however government for its efforts to address the menace.