Longing for jobs, grumble Kabul’s educated youth

KABUL (Pajhwok): We hold master’s degrees, but are not provided with employment opportunities, a number of youth in Kabul complain. However, government officials talk about various employment programs.

Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, a number of Kabul youth said had university degrees, but could not find job.

A rickshaw driver in ‘Ahmad Shah Baba Mina area of Kabul city, Ehsan, said he had graduated from the law faculty of a private university and had so far knocked at many doors to find a job, but all his efforts went in vain.

After failing to find job, Ehsan bought a rickshaw. He asked the government to provide the youth with jobs and consider ordinary people’s needs.

Abdullah, another youth, who sells clothes on a footpath, said after his hope to land a job shattered, he started selling clothes.

A law graduate, Abdullah, earns only 80 or 100 afghanis daily to meet his family’s needs.

Islamyar Arian, who graduated from the engineering faculty of the University of Nangarhar, said all educated youth must be given their rights.

“If the youth are employed on merit and based on their qualification, it will lead the development of the country”, he said.

He also called on the government to pay serious attention to human resources of the country and pave the way for their employment.

Experts believe the government must remove the gap between the government and the nation and create employment opportunities for the youth within the country.

A lecturer of capacity building Hayatullah Ateed told Pajhwok: “This country has various natural resources. Its climate is also good too, which creates the most suitable environment for employment and business and the youth must take advantage of the available resources”.

He said: “The youth need to be hugged.” The youth of the country must be given employment in public administration to help in the economy of the country.

He urged the youth not to travel to foreign countries and instead focus on homeland jobs and self-employment.

But the spokesman for the Ministry of Labour and Public Affairs (MoLSA) Abdul Sami Ibrahimi told Pajhwok that the sanctions imposed by western countries on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and recent natural disasters had negative impacts on the market of employment in the country.

“The IEA is trying to create employment for the youth in different bodies of the government.,” he said, adding that MoLSA had so far announced many job positions for the youth.

He added: “The MoLSA has other programs for youths who could not finish their studies to complete their education and learn some professional skills.”

Earlier and during the national employment conference held in Kabul in July, IEA officials had said efforts were ongoing to reduce the level of unemployment across the country.

aw/ma