Erongo governor calls for greater collaboration to tackle youth unemployment
'It is crucial that we collaborate closely.'
Erongo governor Nathalia Goagoses has highlighted youth unemployment as a major challenge for the region, calling for closer collaboration between government and private-sector projects to address the issue.
Speaking at a recent engagement session, where NKNO Fuels is set to build a truck port and staging facility, she noted that the 2023 census shows Erongo, with a population of over 245 000, faces an unemployment rate of 32%.
Nearly half of the unemployed—49%—are young people.
“This is a very serious problem,” she said. “Projects like this can play a vital role in addressing youth unemployment, but we must be intentional in our approach and work together to create opportunities.”
Correct data
Addressing a meeting with the youth prior to the NKNO Fuels engagement, she said that she asked young people to provide data.
“This includes the profiles of unemployed young people across the seven constituencies they represent, the skills gaps, the reasons they are unemployed, their qualifications, and so on. Unfortunately, this proved difficult. I had to send them back to gather this information so that when your—or any other—recruitment process begins, we can provide precise data through leadership and local forums. Only then can we match employment opportunities with the right skills from our region, so that we do not needlessly import skills that already exist locally.”
She stressed that accurate data is essential to ensure young people can be matched with appropriate job opportunities.
“It is crucial that we collaborate closely during recruitment processes,” she said. “We want to ensure that our young people can be absorbed into major projects in the region.”
The governor emphasised the importance of measuring progress in tackling youth unemployment.
“If we cannot measure our needs, we cannot manage effectively,” she said. “By the end of my five-year term, I want our young people to be ready for employment—not only in your companies, but across the region.”
She urged the private sector, government, and community stakeholders to work together to address skills gaps, improve qualifications, and provide social support where needed, noting that structured and phased approaches to employment projects are key to long-term success.
Speaking at a recent engagement session, where NKNO Fuels is set to build a truck port and staging facility, she noted that the 2023 census shows Erongo, with a population of over 245 000, faces an unemployment rate of 32%.
Nearly half of the unemployed—49%—are young people.
“This is a very serious problem,” she said. “Projects like this can play a vital role in addressing youth unemployment, but we must be intentional in our approach and work together to create opportunities.”
Correct data
Addressing a meeting with the youth prior to the NKNO Fuels engagement, she said that she asked young people to provide data.
“This includes the profiles of unemployed young people across the seven constituencies they represent, the skills gaps, the reasons they are unemployed, their qualifications, and so on. Unfortunately, this proved difficult. I had to send them back to gather this information so that when your—or any other—recruitment process begins, we can provide precise data through leadership and local forums. Only then can we match employment opportunities with the right skills from our region, so that we do not needlessly import skills that already exist locally.”
She stressed that accurate data is essential to ensure young people can be matched with appropriate job opportunities.
“It is crucial that we collaborate closely during recruitment processes,” she said. “We want to ensure that our young people can be absorbed into major projects in the region.”
The governor emphasised the importance of measuring progress in tackling youth unemployment.
“If we cannot measure our needs, we cannot manage effectively,” she said. “By the end of my five-year term, I want our young people to be ready for employment—not only in your companies, but across the region.”
She urged the private sector, government, and community stakeholders to work together to address skills gaps, improve qualifications, and provide social support where needed, noting that structured and phased approaches to employment projects are key to long-term success.
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