December 9, 2021
What we do
The issue of youth employment has become a center of discussion and concern for countries around the world. Mongolia is also facing this challenge. According to the National Statistic Office of Mongolia, 52% of youth between ages 15 and 34, which is 50% of the working-age population in Mongolia - are unemployed or experiencing working poverty. In contrast, employers state that there is a demand for young people in the labor market. What explains the disconnection?
What do we need to support youth employment?
The contributing factors to this youth unemployment in Mongolia are largely due to the barriers for young people to enter the labor market, such as limited work experience, poor education quality, inadequate wage, and discouraging work environment, but also employer’s attitude towards youths.
One of the young people, Tumenjargal, G, 24, stayed home for 3 years after giving birth to her first child after her graduation. She applied for many jobs, but was unsuccessful to secure jobs due to lack of work experience, and she is still unemployed to this day.
Moreover, Gantulga, B, 28, who studied Food Production at Vocational Education and Training Center in Mongolia couldn’t find a decent job in his sector as employers offered low wage. With inadequate wages, he can’t make the ends meet.
Young people are leaving Selenge, and this is a serious concern for us. Young people in Ulaanbaatar are leaving Mongolia for better pay and living. Young people in Selenge are leaving for Ulaanbaatar for jobs and other opportunities. We are a country that is losing its young blood. Thus, what we should do is to support the livelihood of people based on their competitive advantage, so they will not leave but rather stay and carry on their income-generating activities to sustain their lives where they are without having to leave” said Mr. Serikbol, representatives of Civil Society organizations in Selenge province.
“In order to support youth employment, there should be policy support to encourage young graduates of Technical and Vocational Education Centers to enter the labor market. Those young skilled graduates are full of valuable skills and ideas, and they need more technical and consulting support to turn their technical skills and enterprising ideas into small and household businesses” emphasized by Ms. Gantuya, ‘Together for Positive Change’ NGO and entrepreneur, Selenge aimag.
Young people entering the job market may naturally lack years and skills. However, employers ought to focus on providing a nurturing and decent environment in which young people can learn and catch up, while also providing a fair wage and working hours that value young people’s labor.
Having a significant amount of young people out of work can negatively impact a community’s economic growth and development. If left unchecked, youth unemployment can have serious social repercussions because unemployed youth tend to feel left out, leading to social exclusion, anxiety, and a lack of hope for the future.
In response to this challenge, a youth employment campaign was launched by the Caritas Czech Republic in Mongolia with 2 partners, namely the Mongolian Youth Council and the Center of Citizenship Education to promote youth employment under the “All for YOUth, YOUth for all” project funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
The campaign is focusing on producing media content for the promotion of youth employment and inclusiveness of marginalized young people. Additionally, 3 public discussions were held to raise public awareness about young people entering or re-entering the job market, and encourage employers to adopt the youth-friendly and inclusive practice for young people of all walks and nature.
