WESTERN province Deputy Premier Malloney Lopoto says youths are discouraged from job-search by lack of opportunities in Solomon Islands.

Speaking during the Gizo Youth@Work graduation on Friday, he said this dilemma denies the economy from tapping into the full potential of the country’s youth population.

He said lack of employment opportunities has a wide scope of impact; from young people to their families, from the local economy to the national economy.

“This has the potential to marginalise young people and to cause a range of negative consequence including increased risk of conflict and violence.

“For these reasons, youth employment should be recognised as a priority political social and economical challenge,” said Lopoto.

Lopoto said Solomon Islands has a very young population, with the 2009 data revealing that 45 percent of the adult population are aged 15-29 years.

“Young people in Solomon Islands are valuable, particularly urban youth detached from their traditional and family support structure.

“The formal labour market in Solomon Island is very small. Therefore transition from school to the few vocational or Tertiary trading institution are difficult and do not support a dynamic labour market.

“There is no facilitation for transitions to work from unskilled to skilled employment.”