Youth Employment Systems (YES)-Rwanda Chapter an NGO devoted to linking youths to decent and productive employment opportunities Thursday officially launched its employment desk. The desk which is both physical and on-line will feature advertisement and recruitment services aimed at enabling the youth in Rwanda to find the right kind of paying jobs at a relatively lower cost. The Country director of YES Rwanda, Frank Mukama, highlighted that his organisation comes in to fill the missing link between the youths seeking employment opportunities to ideal jobs. He also called upon other line agencies and institutions to liaise and partner with YES Rwanda in training the youth in skills and creation of jobs as well as acting as the needed link to those opportunities. “The major challenges are inadequate skills among the youth and inaccessibility to information involving job opportunities; this cannot only be done by YES Rwanda. but if a synergy of efforts is created by various levels this can be realized,” noted Mukama. The guest of honour, who was a representative from the Ministry of Youth, Redempter Mukunzi, commended the services YES-Rwanda is offering, adding that it is addressing one of the most pressing problems our country is facing. “Unemployment and poverty are some of our overriding problems and having in place an initiative in place working to curb this provides optimism that with the necessary support they will achieve their goals,” pointed Mukunzi The spirit of voluntarism was much encouraged as one of the ways through which graduates get experience and sometimes get recruited as employees. The government and the private sector were also urged to help young people get skills and also help them market their skills as it is through this that brilliant talents and skills are noticed and absorbed on the job market. YES Rwanda was established in 2004 to address the unemployment problem faced by youths between 18 and 35 years of age. It is part of the global youth employment campaign launched in 2002 with a theme of empowering youth to create sustainable livelihoods. It operates through programmes such as youth livelihoods and development, communication and outreach and business entrepreneurship support through the business incubation strategy. Ends
