South Sudanese construction workers. PHOTO//@UN_SouthSudan

A new assessment conducted by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO shows that majority of youth in the country are jobless.

Recent reports also suggest that the youth – who are under the age of 29 – make up 70 percent of the country’s population.

And according to the UN agency’s Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children survey, 95 percent of the secondary school level students are also young people.

However, UNESCO says due to the atmosphere of conflict and political and economic instability, the young people lack employment opportunity.

As a result, it – in partnership with the European Union – has launched a project to tackle this problem.

The project dubbed: “technical and vocational education and training or TVET,” serves as a vehicle for improving economic means and livelihoods through relevant skills education and training for workforce and business opportunities.

On Monday in Juba, a high-level ministerial forum attended by line national ministers assessed the TVET in order to find the employment for the young men and women.

“We came out with common consensus; one is that the TVET is quit fragmented in South Sudan and there is lack of policies,” said Sardar Umar, the representative of UNSECO to South Sudan.

“It was agreed that there should be a one policy, authority or one platform where we can monitor TVET.”

Meanwhile, the representative of European Union in South Sudan, Stefano Ellero, promised to support the project for the benefit of the youth.