Skilled, not ready: The real gap behind Namibia’s youth unemployment
I was 23 when I signed my first governmental contract, through the University of Namibia’s Centre for Continuous Professional Development Unit (CPD). I had no business degree, no mentors, no “real skills” other than sheer grit and determination to exceed my client’s expectations. So, I learned by doing: technical proposal and financial writing, briefing and paying consultants, running the operational side of a contract with no formal training behind me. My first degree, in human resources manage
Asteria Pirola
I was 23 when I signed my first governmental contract, through the University of Namibia’s Centre for Continuous Professional Development Unit (CPD). I had no business degree, no mentors, no “real skills” other than sheer grit and determination to exceed my client’s expectations. So, I learned by doing: technical proposal and financial writing, briefing and paying consultants, running the operational side of a contract with no formal training behind me. My first degree, in human resources management from the Polytechnic of Namibia came later. By then, it wasn’t teaching me from scratch, it was formalising skills I’d already built under pressure.
I raise this because my context is one that is local, and one can hope that it would aid Namibia in properly framing the dilemma around youth unemployment.
