Youth employment in Sierra Leone : sustainable livelihood opportunities in a post-conflict setting / Pia Peeters ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Peeters, Pia.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Youth--Employment--Sierra Leone.

Youth.

Labor supply--Sierra Leone.

Labor supply.

Occupational training--Sierra Leone.

Occupational training.

Youth--Employment.

Sierra Leone.

Physical Description:

xiv, 182 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : World Bank, [2009]

Summary:

Creating job opportunities for its large and growing number of young people is a key development challenge for the government of Soerra Leone. It is also crucial for maintaining peace and promoting pro-poor growth. Young people ages 15 to 35 years old are at a particular disadvantage potentially stunting their development and their transition into adulthood. This transition culminates with secure employment and the resources to provide for oneself and one's family. History suggests that marginalized young people can disrupt a peaceful society: youth who lacked education and access to job opportunities were at the core of the recent conflict, and it is important that this cycle not be repeated. The challenge is how to support their transition to adulthood and in the process, avoid future conflict.

Youth Employment in Sierra Leone examines the supply and demand sides of the labor market to better understand the situation of today's young people, relative to that of adults, and presents an evidence-based menu of potential programs and policies for Sierra Leone. In particular, the authors use a recent household survey and census data to examine patterns of formal and informal labor force activity and human capital accumulation. The authors commissioned a labor demand survey and report on its findings to determine the extent to which urban and rural employers hire young people and their decision-making process. The study reviews skill development programs to enhance youth employability, based on a review of international best practices and of the main programs in Sierra Leone. The authors conclude that youth are a dynamic part of the labor market and that the observed youth employment patterns are a result of the economy's structure rather than constraints facing youth. Short-term actions-to address the immediate needs of today's youth-and long-term strategies to improve the labor market's underlying limitations will be of interest to policy makers who are looking to turn the serious political, social, and economic challenges of sustainable youth employment into an opportunity.

Contents:

1 Introduction and Summary 1

Objectives and Organization of the Study 2

Data and Methodology 3

Socioeconomic Context 4

Main Findings 6

Recommendations 9

Notes 10

2 Young People in Sierra Leone 11

Defining Young People in Sierra Leone 11

Social Constructs 13

Education 18

Health 19

Family Formation 20

Citizenship 22

Conclusions 24

Notes 24

3 The Transition from School to Work 27

Time Use among Young People in Sierra Leone 28

Benchmarking Sierra Leone to the Region 50

Conclusions 51

Notes 54

4 Labor Market Demand 57

The Employers Survey 58

The Business Environment 58

Profile of Business and Farm Owners 62

Employers' Labor Demand 64

Low Skill Levels and the Dearth of Training 69

Conclusions 75

Notes 76

5 International Experience with Youth Programs and Lessons for Sierra Leone 79

Forces Shaping the Employment of Young People 79

Lessons from the Youth Employment Inventory 81

Lessons from Sierra Leone 91

Conclusions 101

Notes 102

6 Main Findings and Recommendations 105

Main Findings and Conclusions 105

Recommendations: A Strategy for Strengthening Employment among Young People 111

Moving to Action: Developing an Efficient Investment Strategy to Promote Sustainable Employment for Young People 120

Note 122.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-172) and index.

ISBN:

9780821378229

0821378228

9780821379080

0821379089

OCLC:

297146472