Dr Jimmy Rodgers shares talks with community youth leaders about youth’s National documents

YOUTH offices in Honiara have held discussions with community youth leaders in Honiara which will mark a new chapter for young people in Solomon Islands.

The discussions convened youth envoys and leaders to look at the 3-tier National Youth documents, and establish a way forward to address the high unemployment rate in Solomon Islands.

According to Dr Jimmy Rodgers, who is the National Consultant for the Youth Policy, in his finding, almost 20,000 babies are born every year, and this is something the country must prepare for.

In terms of job opportunity, there is less than 2,000 job every year, and then in education only 1,000 reach form seven.

With that Dr Jimmy noted that there are 18,000 job seekers and 19,000 drops outs.

“Those are things this policy focusing on giving young people hope and opportunity, not only employment but empowerment too,” Dr Jimmy said.

He said the 3-tier national document is about building sense of pride which focuses both national and outside country for employment opportunities.

He said in national level the policy focuses on job advertisement and entrepreneurship, also on training youths to be entrepreneurs, volunteers and youth ambassadors for market overseas.

“So the review process will involve them to make sure their ideas taken into account,” Dr Jimmy said.

“We need to look at this in the lens of their eyes because young people nowadays a smart, everyone has potentials so this is about helping them realize their potentials,” Dr Jimmy said.