THE importance of job creation to reduce the scourge of unemployment seems to have dawned heavily on later day political leaders. About three years ago, former Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State launched an ambitious jobs scheme aimed at recruiting 10,000 new hands into the state’s teaching and civil services.

Controversy marred it, newly elected governor; Owelle Rochas Okorocha put it on hold to the chagrin of many.

President Goodluck Jonathan also appears to take the threat of mass unemployment seriously. He appointed Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Minister for Finance and supervising Minister for the economy. She declared diversification of the economy and job creation as priority. Government has launched the YOU-WIN job scheme to train young graduates to become employers.

At the state level, the Osun State Government has employed over 8,000 new teachers. It has also launched an ambitious volunteers’ programming, Osun Youth Employment Scheme, OYES.

The latest to roll out the jobs scheme is Oyo State, which has embarked on Youth Employment Scheme of Oyo, YES-O. The state government intends to provide employment to 20,000 young people to replace an ageing workforce and re-invigorate the machine of governance.

YOU-WIN does not intend to bloat the federal civil service. It will train people to run their own businesses and employ others. Oyo State will train young officers in traffic management, emergency support services, environmental sanitation, urban beautification and mass mobilisation.

Osun State has launched a special training service to evacuate agricultural produce to Lagos. Oyo wants to equip young farmers with modern tools to replace the rapidly ageing subsistence-level farming workforce. Governments of the South West have taken up the challenge of improving food production in the zone.

We commend all genuine efforts at reducing unemployment, particularly the use of youth in the process of renewing government services. Growing youth unemployment has been noted as one of the major drivers of increase in crimes, all types of crimes. However, only qualified, competent hands devoted to the success of governance will be part of the new workforce under these schemes. If we politicise youth employment, it results in the type of mess in Imo State.

There is a need to orientate the youth being brought into government services to shun the slothfulness and corruption of the ageing class in the public service. The new entrants should understand that the future of the country rests on them.

More attention should be applied to the sustenance of these schemes. Most of them are too tied to the aprons of the government in power that they become mere political gimmicks that wither with the exit of the government.

Job creation is more demanding than most governments understand. Declarations are not enough. Ceremonies are nothing if no action follows. An area that demands action is the school curriculum. It should train people to be productive rather than train them to pass examinations only. While there may be unemployment, many graduates have no job skills.

The minimalisation of technical and vocational training has left a big deficit of qualified workers in these areas. Governments should consider this in their job creation schemes.