Youth prefer State sector jobs
Dinesh Alwis
*Eighteen percent
happy with Private Sector jobs
*Fifty percent want to
migrate
Seventy percent of youth prefer jobs in the State sector, Colombo
University Senior Professor of Sociology Prof Siri Hettige, citing a
survey said. Only 18 percent preferred private sector jobs while 50
percent youth wanted to migrate. This is alarming and needs to be
addressed, he said at the conference on National Youth survey and its
implementations for a National youth policy in Sri Lanka.
|
Tying the knot |
Most young
men and women (75 percent) noted that their main criteria for a
marriage partner was good character and love, affection, care
and companionship. Fifty percent young women and 66 percent
young men said they will decide on their partners.
Thirty eight percent young women and 26 percent young men said
they will rely on their parents� decision. |
Three thousand youth aged between 15 to 29 were selected randomly for
the survey covering 22 administrative districts excluding Kilinochchi,
Mannar and Mullaitivu.
Organised by the Social Policy Analysis and Research Centre (SPARC),
Colombo University and Youth Affairs Ministry the conference was held at
Janaki Hotel, Colombo last week.
Only 17 percent of youth can speak English although the government
has invested much to enhance students� English knowledge, Prof Hettige
said. He said research findings have revealed that the ability to speak
a third language is also poor among Sinhala youth (six percent). It is
35 and 57 percent among Tamil and Muslim youth.
He said 30 percent youth decide to follow the Arts stream at the GCE
A/L, 14 percent Commerce, five percent Biology and four percent Maths
stream. Colombo University Arts Faculty Dean Prof Indralal de Silva
citing the survey said IT literacy and internet usage was spreading
throughout the country.
Prof de Silva said IT literacy among youth is 57 percent and out of
this, the male percentage was high (60 percent). One third of youth had
used the Internet and it is becoming evident that the Internet present
risks as well as opportunities to adolescent development in the
knowledge economy, he said.
�There is no proper policy in Sri Lanka for youth at present. These
data will help us formulate policies in the near future,� Prof Hettige
said.
�Though there are lot of census, this focuses only on youth,� Youth
Affairs Ministry Planning Director Thilakarathna said. Those interested
in analyzing date can obtain from SPARC by making a written request, he
said.
|
