Empowering Somali Youth through civic engagement and soft skills training

In Somalia, youth unemployment is a major issue, but imagine a graduate who lacks basic skills in the labor market. it is such an absence of necessary skills that hugely contributes to the unemployment rate in the country. However, in response to the growing demand for skills in the labour market for their contribution to the reduction of youth unemployment, USAID's Growth Enterprises Employment and Livelihood (GEEL) project organized a soft skills training and civic engagement, which was facilitated by the Mustqabal Center for vocational training skills and economic development in Mogadishu.

Civic Engagement day

It was a program intended to empower the fresh graduates to have deep knowledge about their civic rights and engage them to participate in activities related to politics, Environment, and volunteerism. During the training, we found out that all issues on youth and Civic Engagement were very limited and the pre-evaluation survey indicated that their knowledge of the matter was not enough.

Soft skills are the most dominant skills that any workforce needs to work in most jobs, those skills include job Research, Communication, teamwork, time management, decision making, and so on.

Opening day of the training

Most of our fresh Graduates in Mogadishu don't have those skills and to acquire is very limited. Most of our universities are not focusing on the needs of the labor market while the students don't try to make Further readings and extracurricular activities to be fit in soft skills.

In my perception and limited experience, I have seen many of our youth including graduates and undergraduates who do not even know how to write Emails, and I volunteer some of the training that teaches youth the basic knowledge of how to write professional emails and communicate efficiently.

Civic Engagement Panelists

During the program, the trainees gained self-confidence that allowed them to make the discussion as groups and individuals.  The Training of Trainers (TOTs) was concluded. At the end of each session group, activities inspired all the trainees to participate in the discussions and each one of the group to present their ideas about the issue.  

Due to the dramatic increase of University graduates, each year and the limited job opportunities and nepotism that exists in the labor market finding a job is one of the most difficult things in Somalia.

Training days

Despite the increase in the number of graduates and the limited job opportunities, there's another challenge facing our youth because most do not have the basic skills to search the jobs and to have clear career goals.

This program solved the anxiety of the trainees because it was not only to present the ToTs but to discuss the topics and brainstorming session that every person has access to add comments and suggestions, the session include Public speaking that made everybody out there to speak with his colleagues and the guest with confidence and to covey his/her message without anxiety.

The last day of the Program was discussion and certification day and it was very different from the first day because everyone was ready to suggest or add comments without feeling fear and the guest were inspired by the differences.

Discussions and asking questions

That day the trainees were also told their inspiring stories and the difference between before and after the training as the Post-evaluation survey indicated that the training made a positive Impact and fully equipped for their career development.

In February 2021 at midnight one of the beneficiaries of the training phoned me and said “ I got a training opportunity for six months” at SOS Somalia, he added “ before the soft skills training I didn’t know how to write a CV and Application” but Alhamdulillah now I can and this opportunity I got is evidence.

 After days later, another one called and told me that he got the same training and three of those trainees had gotten internships from different organizations in Mogadishu after three months of the internship they were hired as full-time employees.

Training days

The Civic Engagement and soft skills training gave me the space to add my contributions to the community and hereby to thanks GEEL USAID for making such a youth empowering that make a positive impact on youth in the labor market.  And lastly, I appreciate Mustqabal and the CEO Ayub for giving me and the youth such an opportunity that allowed us to do good things,

Closing and Certification day