BUJUMBURA, January 2nd (ABP) – The observatory for youth development (ADJ), hosted a conference-debate on Friday, December 29, 2023, centered on the theme: “for an educational policy responding to empowerment and the fight against youth unemployment in Burundi: Issues, challenges and sustainable solutions”.
In his presentation, the director of higher education at the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, Barthélémy Cimpaye, explained the importance of specifying the needs to be met before the creation of programs in different universities.
He pointed out that the university should meet the expectations of society; otherwise, it is better to close the doors. Therefore, we can judge whether a particular University is working for development or not, he added.
According to him, certain study programs in the education sector do not allow young people to get by after studies. He valued training in various formerly neglected trades, including sewing, masonry, carpentry and product processing, instead of lengthy theoretical studies.
Mr. Cimpaye also mentioned the constraints which undermine the education sector and which require an effective response. He cited challenges related to human, material and financial resources, especially the lack of laboratories, libraries and the needs for leadership and management.
To deal with unemployment and poverty, the director of higher education at the ministry in charge of education has proposed recommendations that the government should implement. This involves the promotion of international cooperation, the collaboration of the Ministry of Education with the private sector, the promotion of research and innovations, prioritizing job creation and encouraging the use of digital technology.
To those recommendations, participants added technical and practical capacity building, business promotion, introduction to financial management from a younger age and transparency in recruitment. They also specified that the situation in the job market is worsening day by day and young graduates see this as a constraint to the national vision of an emerging Burundi in 2040 and developed one in 2060.