By Ali Haji Warsame
Somalia has numerous universities across the country, from the North to the South and East to the West, where thousands of students, after completing their secondary school leaving certificate in the 12th year, typically enroll each year. These universities offer a range of courses, including Accounting, Marketing, Management, Law, Business Administration, IT, and more, with many students opting for arts programs. Unfortunately, a significant number of these graduates face little to no chance of finding employment. Thus, youth unemployment is exceptionally high in the country. While many young people are educated, they find it difficult to enter the workforce. A lack of internships, apprenticeships, and training programs means that even those with degrees often lack the practical experience required by employers.
Similarly, there are various mediums of instruction in Somali universities, including Arabic, Somali, and English, but students often graduate without full proficiency in any of these languages, including their mother tongue, Somali. This lack of academic excellence, combined with poor language skills, leaves many young people ill-prepared to enter the highly competitive job market.
I have firsthand experience in this area as the former Minister of Education for the Puntland State of Somalia, which has long been regarded as a leading example of education provision in Somalia. Students often transition between different mediums of instruction. They might begin with Arabic in the early years, then switch to the Somali language in the upper primary years, and finally participate in a fully English language program at the secondary and university levels.
Moreover, there is a significant gap between the local universities and the private sector, which is currently the largest employer in Somalia. In 2018, I served as the lead consultant for a study on public-private partnerships in higher education in the Puntland State of Somalia. This study was conducted as part of the “Education is Light” collaborative program, initiated at the Puntland Government’s request and funded by the EU. The program was a partnership between the Ministry of Education, VU University Amsterdam, and Care International, aimed at enhancing the capacity of higher education services and institutions in the state.
The study aimed to evaluate the readiness of private companies in Puntland to collaborate with higher education institutions and invest in study and research programs. The goal was to enhance the delivery of higher education services in the state in the long term and equip students with employable skills. Key stakeholders include universities, private corporations, government institutions, and civil society organizations, that participated in consultative workshops held in four main Puntland economic districts, namely Bosaso, Galkaio, Gardo, and Garowe. At the end, the study team conducted a mini-survey to gather further data. The responses from these interconnected yet distinct target populations provided insights into the state of higher education in Puntland, the level of cooperation between the higher education subsector and the private sector, and the readiness of these sectors to form a suitable partnership to better address the needs of the labour market.
One of the conclusions of the study was the recognition that the private sector encounters challenges in recruiting local graduates with the necessary skills. There is a demand for more technical education and vocational training in the private sector. The study revealed that areas of focus were primarily on business administration, management, community development, and general economics. Additionally, there is a lack of specialization within the existing degree programs.
Universities also do not offer the most sought-after specializations, especially in the telecommunications and engineering fields. There is also a significant need for medical studies. Furthermore, critical fields for Puntland’s economy, such as fisheries, agriculture, and animal husbandry, are inadequately represented in local education. As a result, the private sector faces high costs when importing foreign expertise in these areas.
According to UNDP, the unemployment rate among the youth in Somalia is 70% for the population under the age of 30[1]. The unemployment rate in Somalia is quite high, which means that a large portion of the eligible workforce is not currently employed. This lack of meaningful employment can lead to frustration and demoralization, especially among young people, making them more susceptible to turning to illegal activities such as smuggling or joining militant groups.
Unfortunately, both the federal and state governments in Somalia have failed to take effective action to address this issue. They have not implemented policies to encourage the private sector to create job opportunities for the youth or provide them with the necessary training and support. Many scholars in Somalia are concerned that the frustration and desperation experienced by these unemployed youth could lead to serious social problems.
Some young people are taking matters into their own hands. According to the UNDP report cited above, Mohamed Osman was one of them. After his first year at East Africa University in the Puntland port city of Bosaso, where he was enrolled in a computer science program, dropped out when the university experience proved too overwhelming. He found odd jobs doing random things with computers and mobile phones[2], but nothing that he felt would put him on the path toward the life he wanted. So, he renewed his commitment to university with a dual focus on getting his degree and finding a way to create opportunities for himself and his fellow young Somalis struggling to find meaningful employment.
A similar phenomenon was also reported in the other federal member states. A study was undertaken in South West State titled (Youth Unemployment in Somalia: A Case Study of Baidoa)[3]. The authors of the report, Mohamed Dhaqane Ali, Mohamed Deek Isack, and Ibrahim Mohamed Yusuf, stated that the results indicate that the root causes of unemployment among the youth are corruption, tribalism, lack of skills, inadequate education, and poor economy. They further indicated that the problem of unemployment, which leads to youth radicalization, increase in crime, and migration, can be curbed by eliminating the practice of tribalism and corruption and setting a proper strategy for job creation[4]. The lack of proper skills is the primary barrier to finding suitable employment. The poor education system has been operating unregulated and uncoordinated for the past three decades. The other federal member states are even displaying far worse results.
Almost all studies about the country indicate the same pattern and similar prospects, highlighting a lack of technical skills among the youth which diminishes their prospects for decent jobs. According to the African Development Bank study, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, there is a pressing issue of skills for employability, inclusion, and productivity (SEIP)[5], proposing projects aimed to transform the TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) centres in Mogadishu and elsewhere. This transformation will increase access to relevant technical education and vocational skills, thus contributing to economic growth and improving employability for Somalis, especially youth and women.
The ultimate goal is to reduce poverty and foster sustainable economic development in Somalia. This will be achieved by empowering youth with skills and creating diversified employment opportunities. These opportunities will help young people secure decent jobs and provide support for aspiring entrepreneurs in Somalia[6]. This is simply an indication of what was already written about the issue of the importance of skills among young people to improve their employability. It emphasizes the need to focus on practical skills in addition to pursuing academic degrees.
Before the civil war, Somalia had 40 public technical secondary schools and training institutes offering formal training programs. These programs were operated by various ministries, such as Education, Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry, Health, Sport, Labour, and Industry. Additionally, there was a Technical Teacher Training Centre established in 1978 in Mogadishu, which provided a three- and later four-year training program for TVET teachers[7]. During the civil war, many qualified technical trainers and instructors fled Somalia, and facilities were damaged or fell into disrepair.
Currently, there are few operational TVET centres, but the quality and capacity of these are generally thought to be limited. The TVET sector remains fragmented, and many institutions that provide TVET are neither standard TVET centres nor provide recognized TVET qualifications. A previous study sponsored by the EU found that there is a language deficiency among students, which limits their capacity to express themselves or benefit from the courses offered in the most highly demanded degree programs in Business and Management, Accounting and Finance, Information Technology (ICT), Engineering and Telecommunications, and Hospitality.
The private sector suggested that higher education institutions offer a 6-month language training at the beginning of each degree program or offer language courses throughout the first two years of each degree program with specific achievement benchmarks for each semester.
Furthermore, the study also proposed a specific plan to establish a strong partnership between higher education institutions and the private sector to carry out research projects. The projects will focus on conducting a comparative analysis of Somalia’s key productive sectors, including Agriculture, Fisheries, Veterinary, Geology, and Energy. Achieving progress in these sectors is unlikely without government intervention and collaboration between federal and state authorities.
The Federal Ministry of Education should take the lead in driving policy changes, while the emphasis on training provision can be managed by the State-level Ministries of Education. One important recommendation from the study was to create a qualified and impartial team representing the Commission of Higher Education. This team should be selected from individuals working in the education and technical fields in both the public and private sectors across the country.
Their role would be to work on standardizing higher education services in Somalia, coordinate and facilitate public-private partnership initiatives, and ensure better utilization of foreign scholarships. It was also recommended that students sent abroad on scholarships should study programs that are not offered by local universities.
In conclusion, to address the challenges faced by Somali youth and help them achieve a better life through fairly compensated employment opportunities, policymakers at the Federal and State levels in Somalia should prioritize the acquisition of skills by the youth and the provision of quality education in the country. Failing to address these issues will make it difficult to effectively reduce the mass migration of youth through dangerous sea journeys or their involvement in extremist groups. Effective coordination and collaboration between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Federal Member States (FMSs) will ensure the best possible outcomes.
Ali Haji Warsame; MBA, MA, CPA, CGMA, CIPFA
Executive Director – Hiil Institute for Governance
Email: ali.warsame@hiilinstitute.org
