NYSS Second Impact, Tracer Study Validated

The Gambia Priority Employment Programme, GAMJOBS, in collaboration with the National Youths Service Scheme under the preview of the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Tuesday 4th August 2009, held a one-day validation workshop on the report of the second impact assessment and tracer study of NYSS corps members, at the Paradise Suite Hotel in Kololi.

The objectives of the study, among others, include the review of NYSS training to ascertain the extent to which the programme content provides adequate and requiste entrepreneurial skills for self-employment, enumerate all current employers of NYSS graduates and access their perception and judgements on the NYSS graduates in respect to their effectiveness, commitment and dicinpline at work.

An overall assessment should also be carried out to determine the satisfaction of the employers with regards to the level of competence and comportment of NYSS’ gradutes, review the cirriculum of NYSS training vis-à-vis cost effectiveness, viability and sustainability of the scheme.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Musa Mbye, the Executive Director of NYSS, said the validation of the study was not only vital, but also helps them to examine the need to ensure that the scheme stay on course with its mandate to provide requisite skills for self- employment or creating opportunities. Mr. Mbye added that the study will also help in the acquisition of discipline minds, morally strong and development-oriented young people.

This, he said, prompted the NYSS to continue its search for how to make its programme more responsive to the employment and development needs of its corps members.

The NYSS boss, however, disclosed that this impact assessment and tracer study would help the scheme better understand the current situation

He said the information would also be important to other agencies that have to serve the youths, adding that unemployment, particularly among youths, is a large and a growing problem in every country, including the Gambia.

According to the NYSS Executive Director, creating more and better employment for young people is not only a way of poverty reduction, but also an investment in our common future.

Mr. Mbye also stated that NYSS has since its inception trained more than 1565 young people, all of whom, he added have matured into adults who are committed to the development of their community.

He commended GAMJOBS for funding the study and all those who contributed towards the development of young people in the Gambia.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Mambanyick Njie, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports described the meeting as relevant and timely, while imploring the participants to make concrete suggestions and recommendations to the study.

Mr. Njie noted that the training which was conducted by NYSS is geared towards meeting the demand of the labour market by creating 15,000 jobs by 2015.

 He noted that with GAMJOBS, the target is to graduate highly-qualified Gambian youths. Noting that NYSS has the mandate to train Gambian youths with skills in order to contribute towards national development, he said government is committed to providing employment opportunities for young people.

He also spoke at length on the issue of illegal migration, which he said, mostly affect youths who risk their lives in undertaking perilous journey. He urged them to venture into skills training as a means of employment.

Other speakers included the Director General of National Training Authority, Mr Ousman G Nyan.