While there are many things that need to be done in your interest by a variety of parties, never forget that you also bear responsibility. Your education is the foundation of your future.
Action 1: Be informed about an array of education and job options, available and share this information with friends
Young people throughout the region currently face frustrations at every point in their educational experience. They say they believe education for employment initiatives can be important for their future success in the workplace and would value a greater connection between their education and future employment. However, World Bank survey results show that only 36% of students believe their education prepared them adequately for a job.
According to World Bank survey and interviews with private sectors employers, in their eyes graduates do not generally have the combination of hard and soft skills they are seeking. World Bank’s studies on the Arab world show that only 28% of those surveyed agreed that their university hires were appropriately skilled. As these skills will be of particular importance to the economy in the coming years, this should sound alarm bells about the present quality of post-secondary education and its poor match to employment needs.
While the Arab World has sustained GDP growth of almost 3.2% in 2016, a rate well above the OECD world average of 2.4%, these achievements are undermined by the following alarming figures:
• The Arab world suffers from the highest youth unemployment in the world, currently recorded at over 29%. The global average is 13%.
• The region’s labor force youth participation rates are among the lowest globally, currently standing at 31%, compared to the global average of 46% percent.