Determinants Of Youth Employment In Kolobo Town: Oromia Special Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the youth employment status and its determinants in Kolobo town. A total of 142 youth (both employed and unemployed youth) were participated in the study. The study applied exploratory type of research design. Mixed quantitative and qualitative data were used from randomly selected samples. Questionnaire, focus group discussions, key informant interview and personal observation were used to collect the required data from primary data sources. The data have been analyzed by descriptive statistics (mean values and frequency) and economic model (binary model) using SPSS software. The qualitative data were used to substantiate the responses of the questionnaire. Major Findings of the Study include, employment outcome was minimally practiced by youth motivation of employment. Unemployment, high competition to get jobs and poverty were the tree major triggering factors that had forced the youth to start their own jobs. Discrimination, partiality and corruption and inadequate supportive conditions from the local government were identified to be the three top reasons affecting the employment practices of the employed groups. Perceptions about self-employment, opportunities for employment, self-employability competencies, socioeconomic and cultural norms were identified to be the inter-related determinants for youth employment practices. It was concluded that breakthrough interventions such as integrating employment curriculum, improving enabling environment for youths’ employment endeavors, establishing and strengthening youth focused development program and association, increasing stakeholders’ engagement in the youths’ employment efforts and ensuring sustainability of youths’ employment endeavors substantially important