The Republic of Burundi

Burundi’s educational system has significantly progressed in recent years with the introduction of free, compulsory education for all primary school children. However, this sudden increase in intake has caused several problems: the lack of teachers, classrooms, and books is evidence that there is still much work to do in Burundi; the number of children attending primary school has augmented, but funding has not increased to the same extent. Furthermore, only a quarter of those who enroll in primary school continue on to secondary education.

It is clear that Burundi faces a challenge in regards to youth education and graduate employment opportunities, but current progress being made in the country has been promising. Burundi is well on its way to achieving the Millennium Development Goal of providing education for every child, and with continued investment and focus in this field, as well as with the help of the Organization for Youth Education & Development, the future for Burundi’s children and youth looks bright.

The Republic of Indonesia

Indonesia has a relatively low unemployment rate of around 6%, but this is high in comparison to surrounding countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. There are over 3 million unemployed graduates in Indonesia, which according to the World Bank, is five times higher than the world average. Although the majority of children enroll in primary school, less than two-thirds make the transition to secondary education, with the other half-million children currently out of school in the country.

Despite these relatively bleak statistics, progress is currently being made in Indonesia. The unemployment rate has been in decline for seven consecutive years and the number of university graduates in the work force has more than doubled over the past decade. When this is taken together with Indonesia’s relatively high growth rate, the future of Indonesia’s graduates seems promising, despite the country’s need for a educational system refurbishment. The government is currently taking the initiative in attempting to create new employment opportunities, including an $8.9 million investment in entrepreneurship programs. The Organization for Youth Education & Development plans to assist the Indonesian government in further initiatives, thus encouraging Indonesian youth in their prospects.

The Kingdom of Morocco

Graduate unemployment is one of the major challenges facing the MENA region. Young people make up the majority of the Moroccan population, and the country is suffering from an approximate 30% unemployment rate for those aged between 15 and 29. Significant challenges needing to be addressed in Morocco are the high levels of inequality, access to higher education, and illiteracy, which have proved major obstacles to employment.

Morocco has solid economic fundamentals, with strong exports and investment in the county. The Moroccan government has also shown promising signs of tackling graduate unemployment, making job creation a major priority. The government is promoting investment in both the private and public sector, and consequently plans to create thousands of jobs annually, providing significant opportunities for young graduates. Although the Moroccan government has implemented many promising policies aimed at combating youth and particularly graduate unemployment, there is still much work needed to be done. The Organization for Youth Education & Development aims to help develop progress in the fields of youth development and graduate employment in Morocco.

Romania

The number of students enrolling in public higher education in Romania has more than tripled since 1990, which has thus created a highly competitive graduate job market. Many of those wishing to continue their studies after graduating move to a university abroad instead of continuing in Romania, and a large proportion of youth migrate to other European countries, particularly Italy, Germany, and the UK, due to a lack of employment opportunity in their home country. In turn, Romania has experienced an increase in immigration in recent years, mostly from Moldova, Turkey, and China, with foreign unskilled workers arriving to take the blue-collar jobs that are no longer appealing to the increasingly better-educated Romanian youth population.

Regardless, Romanian unemployment is estimated to be at between 6% – 7%, which is low for the geographical region. Romania has one of the lowest fiscal burdens in Europe, and has become the largest investment destination in Southeastern and Central Europe in the past decade. This bodes well for the future of Romania and Romanian job prospects, and the Organization for Youth Education & Development aims to facilitate progress in the fields of youth development and graduate employment.