Tackle youth employment, says UDF

NAMPA

The government should urgently address youth unemployment and skills development, United Democratic Front of Namibia (UDF) vice-president Dudu Murorua said on Wednesday.

Speaking to Nampa after President Hage Geingob delivered his third State of the Nation Address in parliament, Murorua said Namibia would develop faster if the government were to address the issues of unemployment and skills development among young people.

“If we as government address these things vigorously then I believe we will take this country very far,” he said.

Murorua also suggested that the central government should provide serviced plots through its local authorities in order for people to build their own houses at their own pace and according to what they can afford.

During his address, Geingob said a key government strategy to arrest youth unemployment was the promotion of high-quality vocational education and skills training.

He said under the Harambee Prosperity Plan, the government targeted the increase of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) enrolments to 16 000 students in 2016.

“We have significantly exceeded this target as more than 24 000 students were enrolled in 2016,” the president said.

He said all TVET students benefited from subsidised tuition fees, while 80% of students also benefited from scholarships from the Namibia Training Authority or the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund.