Context: The total population of Papua New Guinea is around 8.5 million inhabitants, with young people under 25 accounting for almost 60 per cent of this figure. Due to its accelerated growth rate of 2.06 per cent, the country’s population is projected to reach 13 million by 2032. Youth comprise a disproportionately large percentage of the urban poor, as evidenced by the demographics of Papua New Guinea’s capital city, Port Moresby. With more than 40,000 unemployed young people in Port Moresby, youth make up the largest faction of the unemployed in the nation’s capital. Decades of civil unrest and political instability have greatly affected Papua New Guniea’s development, resulting in few students attending and completing secondary education and, thus, a low employment rate amongst young people. The combination of rapid demographic growth and urbanization creates tremendous pressure on the labour market to accommodate all those seeking employment in Port Moresby.
However, the issue of unemployment in Papua New Guinea is not simply a lack of jobs. Employers report that they cannot fill available positions, as many young people lack basic skills to engage in formal employment or have not been presented with opportunities to gain work experience or training. A rising number of young people are leaving school without the necessary skills or experience for professional work. Such young people are finding the school-to-work transition increasingly difficult and this is impacting their ability to positively contribute to society.
Implementation of programme/initiative: The main objective of the Urban Youth Engagement Project (UYEP) is to provide disadvantaged urban youth between the ages of 16 and 35 in the National Capital District (NCD), Port Moresby, with income from temporary employment opportunities, and to increase their employability. It offers young people five days of Basic Life Skills Training followed by work experience or short-term jobs in order to help participants earn an income and gain much-needed employment experience. This is achieved through three components:
- Youth Job Corps: Community awareness, mobilization and screening campaign followed by basic life skills training and 40 days of labor-intensive employment for eligible youth.
- Skills Development and Employment Scheme: Additional Pre-Employment Training (PET) and a further five months of on-the-job placements/training for eligible youth.
- Project Management: Implementation and technical support to the National Capital District Commission (NCDC).
The project aims to impact 10,500 beneficiaries in the NCD and produce more than one-million work days. A total of 80 per cent of the project’s budget is being invested directly into the economy in the form of training, youth stipends, goods and services through contracted public works. The project is issuing mobile phones and establishing BSP Kundu bank accounts for almost all youth participants with the help of the Bank of South Pacific and PNG Telikom.
UYEP is funded by the Government of Papua New Guinea, the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) and the Australian Government, and is implemented by the NCDC. Other partners include the Republic of Korea, the Bank of South Pacific (BSP) and several private businesses in Port Moresby.
Main challenges: The total population of Papua New Guinea is roughly 8,400,000 inhabitants, whilst the current population of Port Moresby is a mere 369,000. Despite increased urbanization, statistics show that only 13.1 per cent of the population live in urban areas. As this project is only available in Port Moresby, it drastically reduces the number of young people that could be impacted. However, with further funding this project plans to expand considerably throughout Papua New Guinea.
Another issue is the initial overwhelming interest displayed by youth in the project, for which the programme implementers were not immediately prepared. The project started on a small scale and, therefore, could not engage as many young people as showed interest. There were not enough private businesses offering employment to accommodate the number of young people enrolled. However, with further funding and the involvement of a growing number of private businesses, UYEP was able to increase the volume of young people participating in the programme.
Results Achieved: Since the Urban Youth Employment Project began in 2011:
- More than 15,000 young people have participated in the project, 40 per cent of them women.
- Participants have completed more than 360,000 combined work days.
- A total of 35 per cent of young people who have graduated from the project’s on-the-job training programme have then gone on to receive an offer of a paid employment.
- Consultation and awareness activities in 11 locations across the NCD have resulted in 3,000 applicants being screened to participate in the programme.
- Basic life skills training was provided for 1,300 youth.
Moving Forward: The additional funding and expansion of UYEP has allowed the project to provide opportunities for more unemployed young people in Port Moresby to gain income, work experience, training and access to the formal banking system. A possible expansion of the project into other cities in Papua New Guinea is currently being considered.
Additional graduation ceremonies are being planned throughout the year as youth trainees complete their apprenticeships on a rolling basis. By 2016, the project benefited 10,500 disadvantaged, unemployed youth from the NCD area. The additional funding and expansion of UYEP will ensure that, by the end of 2018, the project can open opportunities for up to 15,000 unemployed young people and help them find positive long-term employment. The project supports the government’s broader agenda of promoting income generation opportunities as well as the development of a youth strategy to address the issues of youth unemployment and exclusion.
Replicability: This programme has provided students with work experience and training at a cost to the Papua New Guinean government and various organizations. Such an approach could be funded by other governments and donors willing to provide this type of financial incentive. Another key aspect would be to ensure that the replicated programme is prepared for immediate and high interest of young people; early involvement is key to keeping young people engaged and ensuring they complete the programme.
References:
http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2013/08/12/papua-new-guinea-urban-youth-employment-project
http://www.ncdcuyep.org/what-is-uyep.html
http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2016/05/13/papua-new-guinea-giving-urban-youth-a-second-chance
Acknowledgments:
This good practice was kindly prepared by Ms. Elizabeth Linklater.
Project Details
Date: June 5, 2018