Pakistan has around 63 percent of its population below the age of 25 years. But unfortunately, a few steps are taken by successive governments for managing the most precious asset of the country. As according to Next Generation Report (NGR), Pakistan needs 36 million more jobs in the next 10 years. And now with every passing day, due to rapid population growth and developing economy, on one hand, the unemployed workforce is becoming a pressing issue for the government and it has no option but to create thousands of new jobs for the fresh graduates and unemployed youth. And on the other, the bulging youth are needed to be trained and educated for meeting the future economic challenges of the country.
However, ignoring the youth is not an option. If they remained unemployed, the problems of the country would multiply with serious implications for society, economy, stability and peace. And failing to involve the youth in the process of socioeconomic growth, the country can face financial instability besides violence in the society, which already exists in Pakistan’s case.
There could be no better plan for the future of the country other than investing in the future of the young generation for creating a force against extremism and terrorism. If the rich human resources are properly utilized, the issue of rapid growth of jobless youth would be replaced by economic growth and prosperity.
The Pakistani youth have incredible potential and the government with solid political will can create more economic opportunities for them in collaboration with business entities. In fact, the rich human resources can play a productive role in sustainable economic growth. However, a lot of initiatives are needed for utilizing the energies, potential and time of this most valuable asset in right direction through effective management by creating more and more job opportunities for professional, non-professional, skilled, semi-skilled and un-skilled workforce.
One wonders how a country can face economic crisis if the major segment of its population consists of the most resilient, hard working, and dedicated youth. But actually the fault does not lie with the youth but with the system where it is not easy to acquire higher education, which is too costly on one hand and less practical on the other.
In fact, the unemployed youth need a range of opportunities for enhancing their skills and abilities, as they are considered to be the engine for economic development. Similarly, planning at national level is indeed necessary for maximizing the opportunities for the jobless youth. And what the government needs, is to focus on alternative possibilities in order to make the maximum utilization of human resources, and in this regard, new socio-economic avenues should be discovered, which will be helpful for the working class.
The responsibility for meeting the challenge of unemployment and providing free of cost education primarily lies on the state and its leadership. However, politicians, civil society, businessmen, members of National Youth Parliament Pakistan (NYPP) and the media can also play a dynamic role in articulating the voice of young people about the most crucial issue of unemployment and its effects and after-effects on the society at large. The members of the NYPP can also play their role in persuading the government to take new initiatives to invest in the youth programmes for creating new job opportunities and technical training institutions for them, besides motivating them to take part in business and private sector jobs.
If “the youth voters”, the major segment of society, could become a driving force for the major political parties during the election campaigns, they could also become an economic strength to change the destiny of the country with their skills, education and hardworking. As in field of education, the students of Pakistan are the brightest and the most intelligent in the world. Especially the poor and middle class parents, who despite having limited resources, want to provide the best education to their children.
They consider education the only way forward for their coming generation as the key economic development lies in education, science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Efforts, both at national and provincial levels, are required for creating new and better private sector jobs so as the biggest asset can play a positive and proactive role in the socioeconomic development of the country before it gets too late.
