More than one and a half million young people between 15 and 29 years old neither work nor study in our country, according to the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL). Hellen Tipian, Andean region leader of the Forge Foundation, explains why and delves into the impact that poverty has on them.
-What could be the reason for the 2.4% increase in the population of young people who neither work nor study at the end of 2023?
-Today there is a reality that leaves young people in a gap of inequality in access to formal education or employment, since most of them graduate at 16 years old and there is no continuity of free national academic offering for them. In order for them to access the public higher education system, they have to go through an academy that is not public and they are not prepared for such demand.
-The NEET population is high among young people between 15 and 19 years old, accounting for 44.4% of the universe. Why is the percentage increasing in this segment?
-Their graduation age and lack of work experience make it difficult for them to access the job market since they are minors. Young people finish secondary school at 16 or 17 years old, but the knowledge they have acquired is not enough to access formal employment. It is worth mentioning that in the country, formal employment begins at 18 years old. So, until the young person reaches the age of majority, they spend two years looking for something to do. Finally, they find greater facilities in the informal market.
-This result then goes beyond the responsibility and decisions of the young people themselves.
-Young people want to get ahead, they have dreams that are limited by the lack of opportunities, so all members of society have to articulate actions in response to them and to those dreams that are frustrated. They do not have money to study. They look for work, they are not hired because they are neither old enough nor have the experience. It is not the young people who do not want to take action, it is the system that limits them and does not build bridges.
-It is also noted that Lima accounts for 43.3% of the total number of NEETs; that is, 657,000 young people. What could be the reason for this behavior?
-Because in Lima cheap labor is more easily accessible. If we want to counteract this, it is necessary to strengthen and raise awareness among companies to hire personnel without previous experience, since this is where the first difficulty exists for young people to start their working life. In addition, the State must support spaces for strengthening skills in young people since 40% of them in Latin America have not completed secondary school.
-What is needed to boost youth employability in our country?
-Public policies are needed to guarantee continuous training in technical and soft skills, which generate competitiveness to be immersed in formal employment. At the same time, greater openness on the part of companies to generate opportunities within the labor market.
-In 2023, poverty affected 34.7% of NEETs. Why are those who have the least those who face the most obstacles?
-Poverty is directly related to limited access to opportunities, and it is those with fewer resources who cannot access studies, despite the fact that education is a universal right, or a decent job with all the benefits of the law. Poverty conditions them, but this problem should be addressed by the State. In addition, there is a gender gap of 17 percentage points in the population of ninis in favor of women, and this is because they are the ones who mainly take care of domestic tasks and child care, which further problematizes their condition of poverty and the lack of opportunities that already exist.
Source: Larepublica
Alia is a professional author and journalist, working at 247 news agency. She writes on various topics from economy news to general interest pieces, providing readers with relevant and informative content. With years of experience, she brings a unique perspective and in-depth analysis to her work.
