A ‘Run for Employment’ programme was organised in the Capital today to highlight the problem of unemployment on the occasion of International Youth Day.

Association of Youth Organisation Nepal (AYON) organised the function in collaboration with Employment Fund and HELVETAS. Some 400 people from both government and non-government sectors took part in the event. The run started from the Constitution Assembly building at New Baneshwor and ended at the gate of Tribhuvan International Airport. “We chose this route to symbolise those youngsters, who have migrated and are willing to return home for jobs,” said Dev Raj Bharadwaj, AYON president.

‘Skills for better life’ was the slogan of the event. “Youngsters are the backbone of the national economy. They also play a key role in national prosperity,” said Komal Bhatta, communication officer at HELVETAS. He added that youth energy must be utilised to build a strong national economy. “This campaign is meant to press parties concerned to increase employment opportunities in the context of political instability and economic degradation,” added Bharadwaj. A government economic survey released early this year has shown that 4.5 lakh youngsters enter the labour market annually. Most of them do not get jobs, so they migrate abroad in search of employment. Every day, around 1,500 young people leave the country in search of jobs abroad. “The Employment Fund has trained around 70,000 people and 60,000 have been employed in labour-intensive fields,” said Bhatta.

Around 22,000 conflict-hit youth are receiving skill-oriented training from the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Thirty per cent of them will get jobs in diverse sectors such as mechanical engineering, wiring, sewing and weaving. Remittance accounts for 23 per cent of gross domestic product, added Bhradwaj. AYON will also take part in Youth Mela: Dream Sharing and Musical event at the City Hall on August 12, where it will show a documentary on the youth’s dream.

Published on: 11 August 2013 | The Himalayan Times