Context: According to preliminary estimates from the National Statistical Office in 2016, 57 per cent of those registered unemployed were young people, aged 15-34 years, totalling 19,650 youth in unemployment. Of these youth, 45 per cent had a full secondary education and 30 per cent had attained higher education, while 7 per cent of unemployed youth had received only a vocational education. At the inception of this programme, more than half of all Mongolian youth, aged 25 to 34, were still looking for stable work, and 40 per cent had not made the school-to-work transition. Often, youth take up to 3 years to secure their first job.
Implementation of programme/initiative: The aims of the Programme to Support Employment for Youth and Graduates from Vocational Education and Training Institutes programme are:
1.To provide graduates of vocational education institutes with permanent employment opportunities
2.To support business initiatives, and encourage students to earn an income without leaving education
3.To facilitate the transition of youth and vocational education institution graduates to the workplace
4.To support graduates of vocational education institutions to enter the labour market
Main challenges: The programme’s main challenges are the current prevalence of long-term unemployment which has become deeply entrenched in the psyche of the young population, greatly affecting the motivation and morale of job seekers. There is also an evident gender disparity in employment. The proportion of youth entering the labour market rises slightly among the 25 to 34 age group, however, among this segment of society, young men are more likely to secure jobs than women, despite having fewer qualifications. Another challenge to note is the lack of information relating to the scope of available work.
Results achieved: The programme has included students of state-owned vocational education and training institutions under the age of 25. In the first 11 months of 2016, 454 vocational education graduates received financial support through the Province Labour and Social Welfare Service and the District Labour and Welfare Service departments, totalling MNT897,230,0000 (USD3,681,784). In the participating 19 aimags (provinces) and 8 districts, 44 per cent, or 202, of the participants were female and 252 were male. The Uvurkhangai aimag, Darkhan-Uul aimag, Bayanzurkh district and Chingeltei districts had high rates of participation.
A mediation service for part-time jobs was also initiated, and in the first 11 months of 2016, a total of 8,026 students were hired in part-time jobs by 2,023 employers, generating MNT185,811,424 (USD76,254). From the total number of students, 7 from the Bulgan aimag, 6 from the Uvurkhangai aimag and 7 from the Orhon province sought employment, while 8,006 from the Labour Agency in Ulaanbaatar applied for jobs. The total number of participating students included 5,882 university students and 2,144 vocational training institute students.
Moving forward: The programme will continue to support vocational education graduates in finding employment while also promoting gender sensitive labour market policies. Raising awareness of the programme will become a key aspect moving forward as, often, students do not take full advantage of the initiative due to a lack of information. The initiative will also ensure that the Programme to Support Employment for Youth and Graduates from Vocational Education and Training Institutes remains accessible to students from all parts of the country and not just urban areas. The programme will look to spread to all 21 districts in Mongolia.
Replicability: Other countries with an appropriate budget could replicate this approach and ensure support is given to vocational education graduates. To succeed, other initiatives should see the value of effectively advertising the programme so as to ensure students are aware of the opportunities on offer and the support provided. It is important to also ensure that the scope and diversity of jobs offered is maintained at a high level in order to appeal to a broad range of students.
References:
Acknowledgements:
This good practice was kindly edited by Ms. Elizabeth Linklater
Project Details
Date: June 8, 2018