Youth Employment Program: To Facilitate Access to Labour Market

Recognizing this problem, the government launched three weeks ago, the Youth Employment Program for young people aged 16 to 30 who are unemployed regardless of their qualifications with the aim of offering them a training company to after this experience help to find a job. Just launched, this program has already met success as 2800 young people are already registered. The Ministry of Finance, who returns this initiative, plans to have 5,000 youth already on probation by the end of this year. Light on this program that promises to offer new hope to those young people who are struggling every day to find work. 

As explained Roland Dubois, youth unemployment is supported by a number of factors. Academic qualifications or not, experience the world of work is a prime factor when a young person starts looking for a job. But how have work experience if no company is willing to hire a young person who has just finished her studies or who does not have great skills but still trying to learn a trade.

Opportunities offered by the Youth Employment Program can help to end this battle for a job. In addition, the government came forward with the Youth Employment Programme (YEP), which aims to offer an internship to a young unemployed to improve the employability of young and create a pool of skilled workforce for businesses. 

For example, a program of Rs 330 million has been proposed in Budget 2013 to increase the likelihood of youth employment. The government and the companies will work together to ensure that young people develop an industrial experience that will help them meet the hiring criteria. 

Minimum one year in business 

Thus, a steering committee, the Skills Working Group (SWG) has been established for the purposes of this program. It is chaired by the Ministry of Finance and the Director of the Joint Economic Council. The other members are representatives of the Ministry of Employment, Ministry of Education and Human Resources, the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Ministry of ICT, HRDC, the MQA, the MEF, the NCB and NEF. 2800 young people have registered on the Website of the YEP. Note that this program is aimed at all young people regardless of their qualifications. Just being unemployed for 90 days or more. Except for areas such as construction, it prefers to hire someone over 18. It is a well established procedure that has been implemented in order to ensure that the program objectives are met and that there is no slippage in the way. The committee meets regularly at least once a week. Thus, once registered, these young people will be recruited by companies for a mandatory period of one year. If a young person decides to stop before the company in question shall notify the Committee immediately. In addition, a company that recruits 10 or more students are required to keep them for another year. The ministry has already signed an agreement with some companies and placement of thirty young people should begin shortly. 

Formation in addition to employability 

To internship, the young receive a monthly allowance value will depend on its qualifications. The government will contribute up to 50% and the company will pay the other half. The Government's contribution will be of up to Rs 7500 per month for a young person with a license (diploma recognized by the Tertiary Education Council) and a ceiling of Rs 4000 per month for a kid who has no license including those with a certificate (recognized by the Mauritius Qualifications Authority - MQA). However, the Youth Employment Program is also provision for the opportunity of training in cases where a young person should take additional training during their internship, the government will contribute half of the costs, of up to Rs 7500. The MQA will help facilitate the approval of these training programs. The company recruits 10 or younger is required to use at least half of these young people for an additional year. But if a young professional shows good provisions, there is a very good chance that the company employs a permanent basis. The SWG is working on an efficient system for recruitment but employers can directly identify recruits and make a request to the SWG for inclusion under the Youth Employment Program. Once the agreement is signed, the course can start. At the end of each month employers submit their reimbursement form to HRDC who will arrange within the shortest possible time.

Youth are in turn required to sign in each time they receive their allowance. The committee will respect him regular monitoring with unannounced spot checks in companies. Accordingly, these measures, which have their origin in the gap observed between the products of the educational system and the needs of businesses, could inform future job seekers on occupations, employment opportunities and income, as well as career opportunities and development, and offer them a better career choice based on market demands and build their itinerary professional qualifications and social inclusion . By the end of 2013, 5,000 young people have benefited from this program.

QUESTIONS FOR ... 

Roland Dubois (program): "Young people should have the chance to immerse efficient industrial"

Unemployment is a scourge that affects the world ...
In fact unemployment is a major problem affecting different economies around the world. Different European countries suffer a lot since the crisis is installed. Of course, some countries suffer much more than others. The number of unemployed in France has already exceeded 3 million, with 29,000 more unemployed in the month of November. In Spain, half of young people are unemployed. According to the International Labour Office in 2011, on the international stage, 74.8 million young people aged between 15 and 24 years were unemployed, an increase of more than 4 million since 2007. The rate of youth unemployment is around 12.7%. And the global trend shows that three times as many young people are affected by unemployment than adults.

What are the figures for Mauritius?

In Mauritius, the statistical office refers to an unemployment rate of 20 500 people under the age of 25 in 2012 and 30 000 under 30 years (25%). More than 8500 degree holders are unemployed and among almost 1400 are for more than a year. The unemployment rate is 8%, but women are more affected. The rate of female unemployment is around 13% and 5% of men.

What are the causes of youth unemployment in Mauritius?

The problem of youth unemployment can find its source in three cases. First, the education of youth.

Very often young people's qualifications do not match the needs of the labor market. For example, many have a degree in languages ??and unfortunately, these qualifications do not meet the business demand. Institutions must work much more concerned with business and associate in the decisions of the types of vocational training offered in the development of their curriculum and as a lecturer.

This combination will certainly bring educational institutions and training to provide education and vocational training for better business. 

Secondly, the lack of experience. Despite his qualifications, when a young person will find a job, asked if he has experience. However, this is often not the case for a young man who has just completed his studies. Young people should have the chance to immerse efficient industrial and duration consistent enough during their academic education so they can better understand the enterprise environment. Some institutions are already working with industry and the result is there to prove the merits of this partnership. 

Thirdly, the problem we see is that youth are not prepared to accept jobs: employment is not they should not be in the workplace is too far from their residence or employment is not sufficiently profitable.

What is the government doing to address youth unemployment in Mauritius?

In the 2013 budget, several measures have been announced. Because the Service to Mauritius Programme, where young professionals are learning in different government departments, has a good popularity, the government has decided to recruit 300 more degree holders under this program. So there will be 400 degree holders scattered after learning their skills in various government departments. This program will help these young people to contribute their new knowledge to government services and to gain valuable experience that will certainly make them employable at the end of their learning. 

Another measure was announced in the last budget this approximation of tertiary institutions now that is a necessity. Moreover, in the world, tertiary institutions put a lot of emphasis on the importance of working with businesses. This communion can be beneficial to both partners. It can be divided in several ways: to involve employers in the whole chain of knowledge, starting with the development of curricula, the "delivery" of course as contractors (part time trainers / lecturers), the Skills Assessment students have internship students, among others. This measure will certainly help these graduates become more employable than young people who have spent all their years of study behind a desk and create a pool of young people with the skills that businesses need. 

Moreover, the government introduced Youth Employment Program.

Undertakings already registered

• Zenith Computers Ltd. 
• GN Consultants Ltd 
• Direct Recruitment Solutions Ltd 
• Culpitt Adam & Co Ltd 
• YTFX Holdings Ltd MA 
• Rehm Grinaker Construction Company LTD 
• Galleries Fokeerbux LTD 
• Logos Publicity Limited 
• Institute of Information Technology 
• Co Computertraining Ltd. 
• Anglo African Consulting Ltd. 
• SGS (Mauritius) Ltd 
• The Stock Exchange Of Mauritius Ltd 
• CMG International LTD 
• Triamad Co Ltd 
• IT Support Centre Ltd 
• Building & Civil Engineering Co. Ltd 
• Garage eastern LTD 
• KMK Fresh Pan Co. Ltd. 
• RT KNITS LTD 
• Advanced Knowledge Hub Ltd 
• SKR Agency Co Ltd 
• Grimus Institute of Technology 
• Software Images And Activities Management Limited 
• Ramselect Co Ltd 
• Sea Face Co Ltd 
• Ramselect Lighting Ltd 
• Versatile Solutions Limited 
• Ramselect Contracting Ltd 
• The Residence Mauritius 
• Lafarge Gypsum (Mauritius) Ltd. 
• Canada Migration & Visa Services Ltd 
• Bahadoor Printing Ltd 
• Biohealth Ltd. 
• The Creative Workshops of the Indian Ocean Ltd 
• IBSC Global Ltd (Cyberhub) 
• VESL Technologies Ltd 
• The Executive Business And Computational Institute 
• ISYS Evolution Ltd 
• Inspire Systems Institute Ltd (Tylers) 
• ATECH Ltd 
• Belle River Hotel Ltd 
• Innodis Ltd 
• Coral eSecure (Mtius) Ltd 
• AEA Co. Ltd 
• Zubexpress Restaurant Ltd 
• Margarine Industries Ltd 
• Central Phytotherapy and Research Ltd 
• Ferney Business Consult, Consultants Ltd 
• Intertek (Mauritius) Ltd 
• Soft Skills Consultants (Mauritius) Ltd. 
• P & R Supply Co Ltd 
• Career Services Co Ltd +-It 
• Mauritius Institute Of Training And Development 
• Electromech & Hydraulic Services Ltd 
• Food Canners Lt 
• Mauritius Qualifications Authority 
• Client Center Alliance (Mauritius) Ltd 
• G-Ed Services Ltd 
• The Challenge More Ltee 
• La Plantation Resort & Spa 
• Mauritius Freeport Development Co. Ltd.

www.yep.mu  - site to register

Through the website www.yep.mu , young people can register on a database while specifying their profiles such as personal details, qualifications, preferences for job. For their part, the same site, employers specify their skills needs. For the moment, the website is not fully interactive. But eventually, employers can choose online. The SWG Secretariat will issue a list of young people who meet the needs of employers and send them. Employers will be selected after having summoned the young preselected. The next step is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the list of selected young SWG Secretariat attached to the document. It will return after checking the Memorandum of Understanding signed with employers who can recruit young people selected. It should be noted that employers may choose unemployed youth through the normal route, but must ensure that these young people are recorded on the database if they are not. For more details, interested companies and young job seekers may contact the Ministry of Finance on 201 3992, 201 1872 or on 201 1472. Very soon, a website will be available where employers will be able to register as job seekers.