Optimizing Youth Employment in Infrastructure Investments

International Labour Organization (ILO) states that it is widely accepted that poverty is a multidimensional problem, which means that poor people would remain such due to number of reasons, and would not escape poverty unless several conditions are met. However, there is good evidence that an improvement in living conditions can be achieved through better access to productive resources, remunerated employment, and/ or basic services(transport, housing, education, health, etc.,).

In this respect, the potential of infrastructure works is vast, if one considers for example that half of public investment in most developing countries is infact in the construction sector (rising to as much as 70-80% in certain least developed countries). But this potential, and more particularly the possibilities for employment generation, are often unrealised and/or under-exploited.

When compared with more traditional (equipment-based) approach, employment-intensive programmes:

• Absorb more un-/semi-skilled labour (direct/indirect job creation);
• Improve income distribution;
• Contribute to an increase in household income and consumption, with positive effects on the local economies;
• Save foreign exchange and thereby do not increase debt;
• Enhance community participation and (democratic)negotiation processes; and
• Are more environmentally friendly.

Against this background, a training workshop was offered on how to conceive and implement employment-intensive investment programmes, as well as on how to mainstream these programmes into national investment policies reduction processes(implementation of poverty reduction strategies and other nation-wide initiatives against poverty)

Papers

1. The Economic Returns To Investing in Youth In Developing Countries http://pier.econ.upenn.edu/WorkingPapers/Behrman.htm
   
   
2. Recommendationa of the High-Level Panel on Youth Employment
   http://www.youngcommonwealth.org/
   
   
3. Employment-Intensive Investment
   http://djbs.itcilo.org
   
   
4. Notes on the Nature and Extent of Employment Problems in Sub-Sahanran Africa
   http://www.etf.europa.eu/
   
   
5. Inter-Regional Workshop on Employment-Intensive Investment Policies and Programmes-
   Turin, Italy 17-21 October 2005

Report of ILO's Employment -Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP): A global development assistance initiative promoting labour-based approaches for employment creation and poverty reduction.