The people of Somalia have suffered through decades of instability, disease outbreaks, famine, drought and civil war. We need to move forward, and launch activities that can up-skill a new generation to meet the growing demand for innovation, new technologies and to build a prosperous Somalia. According to recent statistics, as much as 49% of Somalia's able-bodied population remains unemployed, and this will hold back our country from prospering. In order to meet the growing demand for employment we have to start with the young generation -- ensuring they have the skills needed to find employment.
Vocational courses
Vocational courses can help young people learn new skills and develop practical experience that can help them find job opportunities or venture out to create their own small businesses. Vocational courses in e.g. fishing, carpentry, plumbing, and farming are essential to build and strengthen the weak infrastructure that we have internally. Through vocational courses, those most disadvantaged within society can find an opportunity to put their skills to good use and become financially independent. Without the support of vocational courses, a new generation of able-bodied individuals will continue to be unemployed, rendering the economy more stagnant and makes the vicious cycle of unemployment permanent.
Skill development
The world has changed drastically in the last decade, and in particular since the coronavirus outbreak because we are more connected than ever before. That's why ensuring young people are up to date with new technologies, and have the skills needed will determine whether Somalia can move forward from its current state or not. In providing young people with the skills in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science, we are essentially giving young people an equitable footing in fighting for future jobs globally, and building a new generation that are digitally competent.
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Internships for youth
There is a growing need to help young people in Somalia access international internships for youth development. There are many schemes across the world that provide valuable experience for young people, from which they can return to Somalia and enrich our communities. More than often, these opportunities are overlooked because our youth do not understand how to apply for them, and don't have the necessary paperwork needed. If we want to build a future where our youth are able to make a difference locally, we need them to explore and understand the many opportunities that await them because it is only through learning from prosperous and advanced countries that we can rebuild our own.
The generation before us made many sacrifices to bring us to where we are. They also made mistakes, but we can create momentum for changes in Somalia -- helping create a truly progressive society that is focused on strengthening its infrastructure, up-skilling its youth to ensure their employability prospect increases, and to make our country stronger, better and more efficient.
