In the 21st century, each country should have put in place mechanisms that provide a humble time for the prosperity of its citizens; however, this is not the case, there are still several challenges that most countries face, such as lack of employment and illiteracy. The advancement of technology, especially in the ICT sector, has presented several viable opportunities that young people can explore to improve their future. ICTs may not be the only solution to eradicating poverty in the developing world, but it is worth the effort.
It is a pity that several countries pay little attention to information and communication technology (ICT) innovations given the potential they hold to address modern challenges faced by unemployed youth around the world. The use of ICTs in the developing world to empower and create jobs for the young generation must be vigorously explored and pursued if governments are to drastically eradicate problems related to unemployment; it is and should be considered as a key tool to drive countries towards economic growth.
Recent statistics indicate that young people make up more than half of the world’s population; 81 million are unemployed according to 2008 statistics, representing an additional 7.8 million compared to the previous year. To make matters worse, it is said that 87 per cent of the world’s youth reside in developing countries where employment opportunities are few and limited. However, by embracing ICT, governments will be able to give young people a greater space to prosper through innovations and exploitation of the global marketplace.
ICTs have provided the developing world with youth employment opportunities, outsourcing information, online business opportunities, etc.; large corporations abroad prefer to outsource services to companies in the developing world, as it is cheaper than hiring in-house employees. Apparently, it would be more expensive to hire employees and pay them monthly salaries plus perks like travel expenses, medical coverage, and retirement benefits than to outsource those services to offshore firms where production costs are low and labor is cheap.
Entrepreneurial opportunities include selling products and services online, as well as working for companies abroad from home, these services may include data entry, transcription and taking surveys. On the other hand, young people can sell products in their own online stores and accept payments through recognized global payment solution providers such as MasterCard Visa and PayPal. Also, they can set up affiliate accounts or become a reseller and promote products on their websites while earning commission on sales.
Young people can also explore ICT opportunities that are not necessarily online oriented, such as mobile payment solutions in the vast mobile phone industry.