Public policy and institutional reform expert Ms. Nermin Murad highlighted that the available job opportunities fall short of meeting the growing number of graduates. She pointed to several critical gaps facing youth, including limited funding for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), high bank loan interest rates, weak managerial capacities, and the absence of proper guidance in choosing academic specializations that align with labor market needs.
She noted that these challenges significantly contribute to rising unemployment rates, particularly in rural areas. Murad called for stronger support for entrepreneurship and specialized vocational training programs, as well as enhancing partnerships between the government, private sector, and academic institutions. She also stressed the importance of promoting a culture of self-employment and equipping youth with innovation and digital tools to create new, non-traditional job opportunities.
Meanwhile, public policy expert Mr. Mohammad Bani Mustafa, who moderated the dialogue, emphasized the importance of public policy dialogue spaces in empowering youth and communities as true partners in political reform and development processes. He underlined the need for analytical approaches and community-based participation as essential tools to understand both local and national priorities, which, he argued, would open the door to fair, inclusive, and sustainable local development for all.
