Colombia’s government wants public entities to drop job experience demands to lower the country’s 18% youth unemployment rate, according to economic magazine Dinero.
According to a decree drafted by the Public Sector Department (DFP), public entities must fill at least 10% of their vacancies with people under 28 without professional experience.
Colombia’s youth employment, and especially among women, is considerably higher than general unemployment because companies often demand professional experience that recent graduates cannot possibly comply with.
Colombia’s youth unemployment rate
Source: International Labor Organization
For this reason, the DFP want the public sector to drop job experience demands for one in 10 vacancies as long as the applicant has the appropriate degree.
“In the adoption or modification of their permanent or temporary staff, in 10% of new positions, professional experience may not be required,” according to the DFP draft decree obtained by Dinero.
The job creation measure would only affect young Colombians with a university or technological degree and would exclude the vast majority of jobless young Colombians.
Some 56% of young Colombians are estimated not to have finished high school, according to a study released last year.
