Effect of Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) in addressing youth unemployment in Taraba state, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was conducted on effect of Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) in addressing youth unemployment in Taraba State Nigeria the specific objectives were to; describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the beneficiaries; determine the extent in which the scheme empower the youth and identify constraints faced by the youth in the course of the scheme in the study area. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in selection of eighty (80) respondents from the study area. Primary data were obtained through the use of structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics in form of frequency, percentage and likert type scale were used to analyze objectives i, ii and iii respectively. The result on socio-economic characteristics of the respondents revealed that the average age of the respondents were 30years with standard deviation of 5.0. Majority 65.2% of them were male, while 34.8% were female; most 65.2% of the respondents were married, while 34.8% was single. The mean household size of the respondents was 6 persons with standard deviation of 1.79. Majority 78.8% attained one form of education or the order. Skills/vocational training; 50% Hairdressing/barbering, 22.5% Tailoring, fabricating 20% and computer operators 7.5%. The minimum income was N200, 000 while maximum income was N350, 000 per annual. The findings indicated that the scheme had impacted positively in the livelihood of the beneficiaries in the study area. It also indicated that inadequate funding; wrong selection of beneficiaries and no follow up after training of beneficiaries were the majors’ constraint faced by the beneficiaries in the study area. Recommendations include; the government should provide adequate funding for the scheme to achieve its predetermined goals and objectives, the government should select the targeted population for the scheme that is the youth between the ages of 18-35 years old base on the objective of the scheme and facilitators should endeavor to follow up the participants to observe whether the items given to them have been put to use appropriately or not and also proffered solution to areas of challenges.