Employment and Education Opportunities in the Solomon Islands

Approximately 33% of the Solomon Island population is under the age of 29, with this figure set to rise. Many of these young people are increasingly looking for ways to participate in the cash economy, pushing large numbers to migrate to urban areas. In a country where 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming in rural areas, the movement of youth from the country to urban areas is placing great strain on employment and education opportunities. There are large populations of underemployed and undereducated youth in city areas.

ADRA’s Youth Engagement and Livelihood Project will work with civil society organizations such as youth groups, sporting clubs, community learning centers and church leadership groups to address these issues.

The early phase of the project will focus on consulting with youth and other community members about the needs of each village and how the community can meet those needs. The project will use the community’s own strengths to provide the solutions.

Instead of telling a community what it needs, and then providing the materials to do that, this project is asking communities to identify their own barriers to development and also their own areas of strength. This approach acknowledges that there are positive aspects to every community, no matter how underdeveloped they currently are, and that they have something to offer in building a better future for themselves and generations to come. They just need support, which is where ADRA comes in.

Once communities have identified their needs and strengths in relation to youth, ADRA will facilitate opportunities for livelihood training, supply of materials and improved access to markets. The training will include areas such as how to run a small business, being financially literate and how to handle personal finances. Specific vocational training will be in areas of interest, such as sewing and textiles, furniture making, weaving, crafts, carpentry, and agriculture production.

ADRA’s project also aims to increase youth resiliency by educating them and other community members about the issue and providing information on the effects of at-risk behaviors such as substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors. In addition, the project aims to encourage greater acceptance of, appreciation for and participation of youth in the life of the wider community.

This project is a partnership between ADRA Australia and ADRA Solomon Islands.