Youth Mobility and Overseas Migration in Sri Lanka
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employment, is developed. It is noteworthy that while young women seem to be more dependent than young men on family support, once they are married they shoulder the primary burden of the household survival (Kottegoda 2004). Developing skills. Youth dependency may stem from the lack of viable employment opportunities both in the state and private sectors. The mismatch between what is taught in the current education system and the skills sought by employers has led to high unemployment rates among educated youth. The private sector is promoted as the “engine of growth,” but it has failed to absorb even qualified university graduates, compelling the government to create jobs for nearly 40,000 unemployed graduates. The private sector actively rejects qualified university graduates who lack English language skills and favors English-speaking, and sometimes less-qualified, students over those from the national university system. Even special programs designed to encourage employment in the private sector, such as Tharuna Aruna, have had limited impact (Kelegama 2007:66). Given the current institutional barriers facing youth, promoting temporary overseas migration must be undertaken with extreme caution. If Sri Lanka is to take advantage of knowledge and skills gained overseas, employment opportunities must be made available for returning youth. These opportunities should include the use of skills and experience gained to transition into careers in the public and private sectors along with self-employment and cooperative entrepreneur programs. In addition, in developing migration as a strategy for youth employment, mid- to long-term labor projections must be made of Sri Lanka’s main receiving countries and those projections compared with a detailed profile of unemployed youth in Sri Lanka, taking into consideration sex, education levels, and location (urban, rural, or estate; home district). These projections should then be used to develop a strategy for skills training and development that matches likely employer demand. This training should become part of the curriculum in existing vocational training institutes and centers. A similar process could be used to develop training programs for Sri Lankan youth looking for employment within the country. Female migrants. For a majority of female migrants, employment abroad is primarily a family survival strategy. Saving for the education of children, the building of a house, or starting a business are three of the main factors motivating women to seek work overseas (ILO 2005:11). Kottegoda’s