You(th), the People: Integrating Youth into USAID/BiH Programming

Purpose and ObjectivesPurpose and Objectives

• Survey the youth sector in BiHSurvey the youth sector in BiH

• Collect basic statistics and Collect basic statistics and key demographic informationkey demographic information

• Identify priority issues/needsIdentify priority issues/needs

• Provide findings and recommendations Provide findings and recommendations for a for a stand-alone youth project and Mission’s stand-alone youth project and Mission’s strategy on youthstrategy on youth

Why youth, why now?

Youth - resource for development

Educated and employed youth grow are critical to stability

Youth can mobilize leadership and civic society and drive the change

If we neglect youth, we can seriously undermine BiH’s development agenda

Major Youth Issues in BiH Unemployment

Education

Social exclusion

Lack of true commitment by government to address youth issues

Inactive, disengaged youth and low level of youth mobility

General findings• Funding for youth projects is done in an ad

hoc fashion and lacks coordination

• Development gains will be lost if the youth sector continues to be largely neglected

• Issues within youth sector vary, as will attempts to address them

Major findings: Economic Growth

• Lack of employment opportunities

• Major gap between education sector and needs of companies

• Lack of collaboration between employment agencies and public/private companies

Major findings: Economic Growth

• Lack of entrepreneurial skills among youth

• Public sector jobs are the most popular by BiH youth

• Nepotism seen as the only mean to find a job;

• Labor mobility

Major findings : Democracy and

Governance• Lack of youth civic participation and activism• Lack of motivation, apathy among youth• Lack of local government responsiveness• Lack of a two way dialogue between youth

and local government• Youth do not feel supported by the government • They do not speak the same language

Opportunities: Economic Growth

Improve Workforce Development• Create a Workforce Development Task Force• Increase exposure to entrepreneurship and support

mechanisms • Promote internship and job placement programs

along with training and certification programs • Improve youth’s access to career development

resources

Opportunities: DG Increase Youth Civic Participation

• Promote regional, entity and/or national youth networks

• Promote better partnerships between youth and their local government

• Advance social cohesion and reconciliation efforts among youth

Next Steps 1. Create a Youth Working Group

2. Increase Programmatic Focus on Youth • USAID/BiH Strategy on Youth • Stand-alone youth project• Integrate youth into all programming

3. Increase Collaboration with Partners