From time to time, the government of Jammu and Kashmir launches ambitious programmes providing training to unemployed youth in order to improve their skills and employability and ensure their integration into the private job market; these initiatives are critical in addressing the problem of unemployment. However, it is a foregone conclusion now that government cannot accommodate all those who are in search of jobs. It is a fact that our youth waste a lot of time and energy chasing after a petty government job. Despite the fact that the global economy has a complex structure, the fundamentals of economic activity remain the same and the real engine of every economy is still the coordination between human and material resources. The growing divide between rich and poor is due to the fact that only a few people have access to material resources. As a result of this exclusivity, a large portion of the population remains cut off from the market giving rise to unemployment. The idea of the trickledown effect can sound enticing, but until the vast majority of people who have been left out of the economic world are motivated to join it, unemployment will continue to grip us. Our youth’s suffering will not be alleviated until we change our attitudes towards making a living. In this regard, the idea of microfinance and the formation of small groups of trained youth, ready to make a place in the market merit consideration. By reaching out to this segment of our population, offering financial support for them to participate in various low-cost economic activities, and aligning them with market forces in the right way will help to alleviate the unemployment crisis. In the rest of the world, people are less dependent on government jobs, and they are more likely to start their own business ventures or look into entering a corporation with a broader financial and consumer base. Doing that, they not only make good money but also remain alert to new opportunities. Our youth should not waste time in changing their minds and approaching the issue of unemployment in a new and creative way. They must try to understand that this world is full of opportunities provided we use our talent and efforts in a judicious and constructive way.
