Research reveals 1,732,509 of unemployed youths
THE number of energetic youths in the country who are able to work but are still unemployed stand at 1,732,509, a research conducted by the government in 2021, found out, parliament was informed here yesterday.
According to Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Youth, Employment and the Disabled), Mr Patrobas Katambi, the government conducted a research to establish the number of youths in the country who were unemployed.
The research involved youths aged 15-35 years and it targeted those who were energetic enough to be in the employment sector.
The deputy minister was responding to a question posed by Kisesa Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Luhaga Mpina (CCM), who had demanded to know the number of youths in the country who were shaking hands with unemployment.
“I want to know the number of Tanzania young men and women who are battling with unemployment and what are the government’s plans to prepare them to compete in the labour market both at local and international level,” charged the MP.
In response, the deputy minister said the number of unemployed youths which stood at 1,732,509 was equivalent to 12.2 per cent of the total number of energetic youths in the country who do not have disabilities that can protect them from working which stood at 14,219,191.
“In ensuring that youths are prepared to compete in the local and international markets, the government through the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Labour, youth, Employment and the Disabled in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is implementing a ten-year National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) (2016/17-2025/2).
An ambitious National Skills Development NSDS was designed to address these challenges, according to the deputy minister.
“Through this strategy the government has made several reforms on infrastructure and curriculum at the levels of middle, vocational training and higher learning institutions,” he noted.
Mr Katambi further added that apart from the reforms, the government had equally provided training to help youths who are outside the formal sector in order to compete in the labour market.
