Youth Unemployment

...is one of the biggest issues of the nation. How do you think this can be solved?

Bhutan is one of the under developing countries in the world and also in Asian region too. Bhutan evolves with numerous developmental processes especially in terms of infrastructures. The Population of the country increases significantly. The youth enrolment in the schools, colleges, institutions and so on increases drastically. Therefore, the youth unemployment arises out of increasing youth enrolment in schools, institutions, colleges and so on.

What is mean by ‘Youth Unemployment’? The ‘Youth Unemployment’ is the lack of job opportunities for people classically aged 15–24 years old. This age series is determined by the period when mandatory schooling ends through the age of 24. In order to qualify as unemployed for official and statistical measurement, the individual must be without employment, willing and able to work, of the officially designated 'working age' and actively searching for a position.

History says that the youth unemployment rate has been two to three times higher than in older age groups. It is logically higher in developing countries, but has become a problem in countries around the world, including our country - Bhutan.

The ‘Youth Unemployment’ in Bhutan is one of the biggest issues of the nation. This has to be solved within very short span of time. The youth unemployment increases noticeably at sweeping rate. Why youth unemployment increases in our country? This is because, youth population increases yearly due to malfunction of family planning. Therefore, youth unemployment increases extensively.

Hundreds and thousands of youth hunt job for their survival after certain degrees of schooling and trainings. Some youth usually go ahead working with private and Non Government Organizations (NGOs) and many more. Some feel secure to work in Government offices but the vacancy in government is very limited.

The Government works out on full employment for the youth, today. But there is lot and lots to be surveyed, checked and studied thoroughly to examine the problems and solve it. As a general, everyone residing in the country should always work together to solve Youth Unemployment problems in the country and suggest some effective measures to be instituted.

To solve Youth Unemployment problems in the country is major concern for our government especially Ministry of Labour and Human Resources, other ministries, other government and private organizations and so on. They should work jointly to solve the problems as soon as possible. All of the above, we the youth of today should also draw closer with whatever comes on way whether small or big, white collar or blue collar jobs, etc.

The following are my suggestions for solving ‘Youth Unemployment’ in the country.

Create more Employment opportunity in Government:

Today, in our country the Civil servants are looked and managed by Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) since its inception. The commission and other agencies should have to create more job opportunities in government sectors.

In ministries, organizations, etc… the new recruitment are made under civil service rule and which is strictly followed. But government organizations announce the vacancies with experiences of five years and above for the various posts. There, the fresh graduate without pass marks in Royal Civil Service Examination would not be eligible to apply. Now, what I feel is that if government organizations endorse their in-service candidates to higher posts and recruit new for the officer level job after civil service examination rather than recruiting someone from other government sectors. Then it would help create more job vacancies in government sectors for the young and fresh graduates hunting for employment.

Encourage employment in Private Organizations:

The youth today, do not feel secure to work in private firms as the pay, allowances, etc… are incredibly low. The terms and conditions are very strict. If government implements existing civil service rules and regulations for private sectors, then the unemployed youth would like to work in private sectors. International Labour Organization’s (ILO) daily limit of 8 hours should be instituted in private sectors with very strict rules and regulations. The government should have to survey how far the private sectors’ employees work and their working conditions.

If the government implements the effective measure according to Royal Civil Service Commission would help increase youth who motivates to work in Private Sectors. The pay, travelling and daily allowances while working in offices and travelling out of the office, the leave and holiday schemes should be implemented equivalent to government employees.

If government would provide some incentives like cheap housing like government employee, then the youth would feel like to work in private organizations. So, therefore, youth unemployment problems in the country would be solved within very short span of time period.

Encourage business:

These days, our government is working to encourage youth to open business with the help of loans at cheaper rate. If government make the rate of interest is low, it would help more youth opting for business. The strict rules on imports are implemented on numerous goods. The business firms that import beverages and other banned products were imposed fine for several times. This discourage unemployed youth to come up with new ideas on business rather they quit plan for doing business.

The incentives for business man and woman such as health and medical, life incentives and many more should be put into practice for encouragement of Business firms to come up at fast rate. Therefore, the youth of today would come up to do business for rest of their life. They can make their living and also can employ some few youth as sale girl or sale boy. Thus, the youth unemployment would decrease considerably.

Vacancies with Experiences and set up percentage of marks:

Bhutan is still under developing. Our country did not reach the climax to step such criteria. Our government should make some measures to intake fresh and inexperience graduates of all kind. An experience is strange and aching situation for us - the fresh graduates without experiences. We did not learn how to work in offices in any of the subjects but we have keen interest to learn from experienced senior or pre-service employees. Therefore, all organizations including government, private, etc. should avoid recruiting experiences candidates for vacancies announced prior to. If organizations recruit candidates with no experiences then the youth unemployment will be solved shortly.

The other thing in vacancies announced needs good marks. Certain percentage in various stages is most dreadful and insecure criteria. Everytime, the organizations set up criteria of 60% in classes 10, 12 and degree. Students who didn't qualify from classes 10 and 12 would not have 60% and they would not fulfill the set up criteria. Some universities in India like North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), North Bengal University (NBU), and others, strictly evaluate the answer scripts where hundreds of Bhutanese fails to bring more than 50%.

Therefore, I suggests all organizations to not to set up certain percentage to avoid youth unemployment problems. If organizations, both government and private do not set such criteria then the youth with low percentage would be employed resulting certain decrease in youth unemployment.

Encourage youth to work abroad:

The government should always encourage and help our youth to work abroad. Passports and necessary documents should be issued at very reliable fees and in very short period of time. As of now, Bhutanese willing to work in abroad are strictly evaluated on the various grounds. They are checked, verified and tested for everything. This truly discourages youths these days to come up with willingness to work in abroad.

For example; like English teachers sent to Thailand in past years, government should arrange same for youth of today to work as English teachers in abroad. The numerous Bhutanese are working in abroad in various agencies in various designations. These helped our country to minimize the unemployment problem and hereafter too if such plans are planned then our unemployed youth would diminish.

Generally, our government should plan the employment plans, survey how much unemployed youth hunts for employment. The favoritism and nepotism should be circumventing in Bhutanese society. The candidates of any high level personalities should not be entertained with their background. All the youth of our country should be treated same under the fundamental rights of the people according to the constitution of Bhutan.

Corruption, bribery and enticement should be always kept behind. The candidates with relevant courses should be allotted or recruited for the post announced. Accountability and transparency should be made for the best interest of the public, the selection procedures. Pre-select candidates should not be entertained.

To conclude, I hereby share some few points that was shared the Prime Minister Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay and some Ministers during ‘Question-Answer’ session in National Assembly declared the government’s determination to deal with the challenge of youth unemployment in the country. One of the programs being rolled out by the government to tackle youth unemployment, Prime Minister along with Council of Ministers started Meet–the–People program. Lyonchen also said either establishing or expanding existing businesses, more new employment opportunities would be created with the help from other ministries for the unemployed youth.

Therefore, the ‘Youth Unemployment’ problem in the country will be solved soon.