Activation Policies for the Poor in OIC Member States
73
Education is free at primary level and secondary level. However, primary school students only have
a 60% primary level completion rate. In order to maximise the impact of the message, particularly
for poorer and more vulnerable young people, they need to be encouraged to think in terms of self-
employment and vocational education when they are most likely to be at school, at primary level.
This could then influence the type of secondary level education they pursue. All students will need
access to careers guidance and information in order for them to understand the sectors and roles
they are most likely to find work in. At a practical level, this could involve training a team of careers
counsellors who could travel to rural areas, supported by a careers information centre in Kampala.
Self-employment may continue as a theme throughout secondary and tertiary education. Successful
entrepreneurs could also be encouraged to attend schools and promote self-employment as
Champion Entrepreneurs, leading where appropriate to training and mentoring relationships. A
method could also be devised to recognise and accredit those teachers and trainers who give
exceptional entrepreneurial support.
Building on the YLP, funding could be made available to provide the very poorest and most
vulnerable young people with skills training and the tools of their chosen trade, thus providing them
with the intellectual property and collateral with which they can seek micro finance loans with more
confidence of success.
The most marginalised are out of the information flow and tend not to hear about available funding.
Elected Youth Councillors could be mobilised to disseminate news of local initiatives to the young
poor. Uganda is strong on technical access particularly via phones and radio. More could be done to
promote programmes through targeted text messages such as the U-report scheme used by UNICEF
in rural areas.
In order to encourage vocational skills training, reforms are also needed to support BTVET’s
informal skills programme. Informal skills training is valued by employers because it is relevant and
concentrates on modern skills that are needed. However, many of the most vulnerable are unaware
of this practical and more affordable training.
Skills training is also required because Uganda is not as productive as it should be. Workers would
be more productive if there was more emphasis upon dedication, commitment and up-skilling. For
example, supervisory systems could be addressed and performance appraisals and training
encouraged to be seen as necessary rather than a cost to be avoided.
3.5 Iran
3.5.1 Background
Poverty is still a salient issue for Iran. According to UNICEF data, 1.5% of the Iranian population
lived below the international poverty line (US$1.5 per day) between 2007 and 2011.114 The source of
poverty, according to experts in Iran, is macro-economic problems such as corruption, the economic
system and structural inefficiencies that impede the mobilisation of resources (job and vocational
training, support services and subsidies) to the outer, rural provinces.115
Unemployment rates in Iran are relatively high at 10.4% (for the calendar year ending March
2014).116 Unemployment rates are particularly high for young people and especially women. The
head of the Statistic Centre of Iran has been reported as saying that ‘the unemployment rate for the
youth is twice that of the general unemployment rate, this number means that we are in the crisis
zone regarding the unemployment rate.’ In April 2014, the state-run news agency Mehr reported
114
115
international-sanctions-or-governmental-corruption.html
116 World Bank, Iran Overview, available at: accessed 19th December
2014].