Urban youths to gain from new National Capital District concept

By SHIRLYN BELDEN
A YOUTH development project aimed at helping disadvantaged youths in the National Capital District will start in March, acting city manager Honk Kiap said.
The NCD urban youth employment project is a government initiative which aims to provide income opportunities from temporary employment and to increase employment opportunities. 
“The project will provide the youths with skills and knowledge to compete in the workplace hence help them generate income, strengthen their livelihoods and equip them with important skills,” Honk said in a statement yesterday.
It was also intended to reduce the high crime-related indicators in the country.
The project will be implemented by the National Capital District Commission for five years and targets to train youths in the city, including those from the Motu-Koitabu villages. 
Youths between 16 and 25, who are neither employed nor schooling, are eligible for the training. It will take five months before they go for a five-month job training.
 The project was designed to ensure that youths with different skills and education backgrounds participate effectively by providing advanced training for the more skilled and educated youths and those who lack basic life skills and employment experience.
Youths with less basic life-skills and employment experience will undergo basic life skills and employment training, the numeracy and literacy tests plus public works job experience.
Those with advanced skills and education will undertake pre-employment training and on-the-job training with various firms contracted. 
A project management and reporting component was also designed to give feedback for evaluation to sustain the youths over the five years of implementation.  
The project is jointly funded by the national government, World Bank, Korean Trust Fund and NCDC at a cost of more than K1m.
The project supports the PNG’s vision 2015 and is in line with the National Youth Policy to provide employment opportunities for youths.