Authority to address youth issues: Director

By MAZIE SELMBIA
YOUTH bulge and unemployment issues are to be addressed through sectors starting with churches, the youth director in Lae says.
Speaking at the National Research Institute chairman’s seminar, Joe Itaki, director of the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA), said the 2024-28 strategy plan was underway.
“Talks between the Prime Minister James Marape and the NYDA has resulted in the release of the 2024 to 2028 Pathway of Youth Empowerment and Employability Strategy earlier this year,” Itaki said.
He said that the main issue facing youths today was the youth bulge and unemployment that they are trying to address through these sectors.
Wilson Thomson, PNG National Research Institute Chairman said that the chairman’s seminar was to try and see how they can implement the Government policies through alignment.
“We need to realign ourselves and see where we have gone wrong such as the University of Goroka is supposed to be training teachers but is graduating more accountants, where we also have other institutions graduating accountants as well, leaving many jobless after graduating without creating what the country actually needs,” Thomson said.
He said that due to such instances, such conferences are held by the National Research Institute board members to realign and implement the policies.
The seminar saw the attendance of chairpersons of public sector boards such as National Youth Development Authority, Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology and many other public sector boards.