Youth Employment and Urban Renewal UN-HABITAT Discussion paper for Expert Group meeting

Youth Employment and Urban Renewal UN Millennium Declaration: to have achieved by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers. Youth issues are central to solving urbanization problems of the developing world highest rate of unemployment most vulnerable to social depredations

Challenges to Youth Employment Uncertain/declining economies Lack of skills among youth Diminished capacity of public sector to cater to youth employment Sustainability in self-employment in the youth sector Lack of recognition of youth as a resource

Opportunities for youth employment Public Sector: hire youth in public administration or for public works providing vital social services – already active in CSOs Globalization and world market expansion: Municipalities can be pro-active in attracting global industries Informal sector expansion

Opportunities for youth employment Inter-sectoral Partnerships incentives to private sector to hire youth engage with CSOs on strategies to address urban youth unemployment linkages between civil society and the private sector in commercial ventures eg. communication services

UN-Habitat & Urban Renewal Strategic vision 2003 The city as an organizing agent for national development urban poverty & slums: not just about local improvement but of region-wide and national development policy YEN priorities directly address mandate: to improve the lives of the urban poor, & to foster sustainable urban development

UN-Habitat & Urban Renewal New UN-HABITAT youth strategy mainstreaming youth in all of the Agencys programmes enhancing engagement of youth in national and local governance processes inclusion of a youth focus in urban renewal, including urban youth employment

An Employment Strategy for Urban Youth Local Authority Capacity Development ensure appreciation of urgency to address urban youth unemployment in planning urban development training programmes: improve knowledge, skills and attitudes of local government & civil society for slum dwellers Youth entrepreneurship Build marketable skills to tap natural creativity and innovation of young people

An Employment Strategy for Urban Youth Develop partnerships and linkages Partners involvement of youth in mainstream economic activity linkages between the formal and informal sector partnering to encourage and enable employment of young graduates provide models of attachment/internship strategies to encourage national and municipal levels

An Employment Strategy for Urban Youth Promote Information and Communication Technologies ICT revolution has by-passed the poorer urban population Promote ICT access in slums as a win-win strategy for youth employment increased social awareness, educational opportunities, access to employment information high quality jobs within the slums themselves

An Employment Strategy for Urban Youth Youth employment support services identify pilot initiatives to support governments in urban youth employment endeavours One-stop youth information resource centres An Employment Strategy for Urban Youth best practices database of youth employment initiatives at the local, national, regional and global levels