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Concept NoteProposed Topic/Theme: Sustainable Economic Development Opportunities for Youth in NamibiaDate: 7 September 2017Venue: FNCCNumber of participants: 100 -120Background & Event Overview:The European Union together with the National Youth Council, Hanns Seidel Foundation, the International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC Namibia), German Cooperation and French Embassy (Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre) will be hosting a full day conference under the theme Sustainable Economic Development Opportunities for Youth in Namibia. The aim of the conference is to bring together youth groups from different walks of life to discuss their aspirations and challenges and propose ways to address the EU and its member states support to youth entrepreneurship in Namibia. The outcome of this conference will feed into the AU-EU Summit scheduled from 28-29 November 2017 in Ivory Coast (Abidjan), addressing the theme “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in the Youth”.For over 27 years, Namibia has been sovereign and independent country. Over this period, the country has made notable developmental progress with most social and economic indicators showing significant improvement. However, the country continues to face a number of social and economic challenges, ranging from high levels of youth unemployment, issues relating to education, health and various others. Particularly, youth unemployment remains reason for concern to the Namibian government and society as a whole. The latest figures released by the Namibian Statistics Agency (NSA, 2016) indicate that more than four out of ten young individuals (43.3%), aged between 16 to 35 years, are not able to find permanent employment. While this number has grown in recent years, this is particularly worrisome as 37% of the population of Namibia comprises this age group. Because of this and other reasons, Namibia faces a myriad of socio-economic challenges such as poverty, crime, malnourishment, etc. Particularly, the rural youth are most vulnerable to these challenges, causing secondary socio-economic effects, including rural-urban migration, brain-drain, and others.The youth unemployment disparity can also be attributed to the mismatch between the low education levels among the economically active population and the economic advancement of the country, especially against the backdrop of an increasingly complex and globalised economic sector. Despite the steady increase in the number of children attending school and those completing tertiary education, thousands of young people are still confronted with limited employment opportunities. Therefore, the acquisition of skills and experience of the current young generation remains a vital factor for the future social and economic development of the country. The EU and Germany are collaborating with the Namibian Government and stakeholders to improve the quality of and access to Vocational Education and Training (VET) in line with the country's NDP5, Vision 2030 and HPP. In this respect the EU and GIZ signed an agreement in 2016, for GIZ to implement a co-funded project to which the EU contributes 130 Million Namibia Dollars. Similarly, the German Government is actively engaged in supporting VET in Namibia through the Promotion of Vocational Education and Training (ProVET) Project with a total value of 200 Million Namibia Dollars. ProVET supports the National Training Authority to advance vocational education and training in Namibia with the objective to ensure that industry demand for vocational qualifications in selected sectors are being covered. The overall objective of the EU-GIZ action is to contribute to a well-educated and skilled society in Namibia that plays an active role in the economic and social development of the country as well as to respond to the skills demand that exists in the market. Key IssuesIt is internationally recognised that entrepreneurship is a prime catalyst for job creation and there appears to be a strong upward trend line between entrepreneurship and employment growth, which in turn may lead to economic growth and a reduction in poverty. It is therefore important that factors affecting entrepreneurial development among young people are addressed. The factors include but are not limited to the social and cultural attitudes towards entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education and training, access to start-up finances, administrative and regulatory frameworks, business assistance and support, business development services, physical infrastructure as well as internal market openness. Coupled with the below-stated factors, young people due to their age, knowledge and skills, capacity, and access to resources, face unlevelled competition from their adult counterparts. The following key issues will be discussed during the workshops:Financing for youth entrepreneurship.To assess, deliberate and suggest ways and means through which financing for youth entrepreneurship can be enhanced. This group will look at the following issues:Are existing financing schemes addressing the needs of micro, small and medium enterprises and youth owned/run enterprises? What needs to be done in order to address some of these challenges? What avenues exist for innovative business financing (e.g. crowd-sourcing) in Namibia and how can these avenues be enhanced for the youth? Essential skills and competencies required for a new generation of Namibian youth entrepreneurs.Looking at whether the necessary training and development are being provided in Namibia for entrepreneurs to become successful. This group will look at the following issues:Is the school entrepreneurship curriculum effective in equipping young entrepreneurs with the necessary skills and knowledge in order to become successful entrepreneurs?Do we have enough enterprise development entities in Namibia that provide entrepreneurs with skills and knowledge to become successful entrepreneurs? Are there enough mentorship and business incubation programmes to provide young entrepreneurs with guidance and support for problem-solving and innovation? What can be done to inculcate a positive culture towards entrepreneurship among the Namibian youth? Improving the regulatory and legal climate and market access to support young entrepreneurs There is a need to look at the effectiveness and weakness of the legal and regulatory framework for the creation of young entrepreneurs to thrive in the Namibian market. This group will look at the following issues:Whether legal and regulatory framework speaks to the needs of young entrepreneursWhich laws need to be amended or added in order to create a conducive environment for young entrepreneurs to succeed? What challenges exist in terms of practices and law enforcement, which impede young entrepreneurs to excel in the Namibian market? Is there a secured market for products and services produced by youth entrepreneurs?Are there systems in place to support the value chain? What needs to be done in order to secure markets for products and services produced by young entrepreneurs? Innovation in business and sustainable economic development opportunities for youth in Namibia Finding a market for products and services produced by entrepreneurs plays a vital role in the success of their enterprises. This group will, therefore, look at the following issues:What avenues exist for shifting economic development in Namibia onto more sustainable pathways by integrating ecological and social entrepreneurship as a reward-based approach to addressing environmental and socio-economic problems? What are the rewards for green entrepreneurs and how can youth benefit from these in Namibia via access to new and expanding markets, attracting investments, increasing productivity and technical capacity, etc.? What potential is there in the tourism industry - particularly conservancy / community based tourism?Some of the opportunities available for unemployed youthVarious free courses for the youth are offered by the Namibian Innovation Institute (NBII) through the RLabs concept, to those who are eager to acquire new skills. In addition, NBII at the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST), and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) are co-hosting the Eco- Entrepreneurs Jump- Starter Training Workshops in 2017 as part of the 'ThinkNamibia Environmental Awareness Campaign.'Namibian youth can register their CV’s on the official Namibia@work site which provides employers with a platform to advertise vacancies, and employees with a platform to advertise their set of skills and experience to find employment that’s suits them best. The Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) recognizes the imperatives of investing in skills development and entrepreneurship, with significant weight being placed on these aspects of youth development, concretely the massive expansion of Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) and the launch of 121 enterprises initiative under HPP are potential opportunities for young Namibians. Introduction of programme that serves as an additional vehicle to stimulate creation of the needed jobs and economic growth for the youth of Namibia. Credit for Youth in Business (CYB) and the National Youth Council of Namibia (NYCS) are aimed at improving the financial support systems for youth in business. Select economic sectors and public works where it is believed to be possible to create more employment opportunities. The Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development (MITSMED) has a number of support programmes for SMEs, although not specifically targeted to youth, they form a valuable part of the economic development ecosystem. Youths with relevant knowledge and skills can bring about innovative technologies and solutions, and implement them in the context of being relevant and appropriate to the economic development of the country.Expedition of labour intensive programs has the potential to create many temporary and permanent unskilled jobs, while preserving existing jobs.Youth can volunteer, which is fundamental in exposing the youth to not only practical experience but also the opportunity to acquire both skills and short and long term employmentParticipation in career guidance programs for youth still in school. One of the simplest and most direct things that employers can do is to partner with schools and vocational institutions to increase young people’s exposure to the world of work. Objectives The event will build on some of the outcomes generated at the 2016 Namibia Youth Summit, including the challenges associated with youth sustainable economic development and opportunities.1) The broad aim of the workshops is to generate innovative approaches based on the youth’s aspirations, youth employment and opportunities through inclusive economic growth in Namibia. 2) The conference will also be used as a platform for inspiring youth through sharing of ideas.3) Furthermore, the conference will discuss key factors in terms of critical knowledge and evidence gaps that hamper effective interventions to enhance economic opportunities for youth, including successful transition into the labour market.4) The harnessing of the conference's analysis, remarks, observations, conclusions should further enhance the EU and its Member States' short and mid-term support to increase youth entrepreneurship, employment opportunities through its development assistance by means of e.g. technical vocational training, support to education sectors, assisting with access to financing, support to parliamentary democracy and featuring horizontal issues as climate change or renewable energies.Expected outcomes:The conference is expected to draw a set of recommendations and aspirations to fast track youth employment initiatives and development. Moreover these inputs and recommendations will ensure that a participatory approach is followed and that the Namibian Youth's voice on these important matters are taken aboard and navigated as input to the AU–EU Summit scheduled for November 2017 in Abidjan, addressing the theme “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in the Youth”.Additionally, these recommendations will also form the basis for youth advocacy initiatives and policy dialogue between youth organisations and the Government of the Republic of Namibia. Target group:The conference is expected to bring together about 120 participants from different walks of life, policy makers, youth groups, public and private sector members and civil society organisations for a one-day event on youth employment issues and sustainable development opportunities. Contact:Ms Lucia KamatiProject OfficerTel: +264 237 373Email: project@.na Hanns Seidel FoundationOr Mrs Susan – Marie LewisPress OfficerTel: +264 202 6247Email: Susan-Marie.LEWIS@eeas.europa.euDelegation of the European Union to NamibiaOrMrs Sircca NghitilaManager: ProgrammesTel: 0811287115Email: snghitila@.naNational Youth CouncilOrMr Michael MulungaCoordinator, Grants & FundraisingNational Youth Council of NamibiaTel: 0811404481Email: mmulunga@.na OrMr Domingos TchiyoPositionTel:Email: domingos.tchiyo@AIESEC Namibia ................
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