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When Beatriz de Santos dropped out of school, she thought that this was the end of her education and dreams of a better life. As the oldest daughter in a poor family, she was expected to look after seven smaller brothers and sisters rather than going to school. To support the family, last year she left for the lights of the capital Dili.
However, De Santos was not just looking for a job, but also hoped to gain more skills to equip her for labour market. She was lucky to hear from friends that the government was offering a range of courses for young people with low-level education.
De Santos took a free English course with an NGO and finally enrolled in a tourism and hospitality course offered by the Secretariat of State for Vocational Training and Employment Policy (SEPFOPE) in Timor Leste.
"The aim of these courses is to provide young Timorese – especially young women – with training and employment possibilities they would otherwise hardly access. Women are far less likely to be employed in skilled jobs, due to expectations that they fulfil traditional gender roles,” explains Roberto Pes, ILO Head of Mission for Timor Leste.
According to the ILO expert, the lack of quality work opportunities represents a serious cost not just to the young people, but also to their families and societies. More than 70 per cent of employed youth are in informal employment. The work deficits for young people can make them vulnerable to external influences and which potentially can lead to rising levels of crime, violence and political extremism.
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