Internship Crisis: Frustrated Youths

Hundreds of youths visit websites like “merojob.com” for a suitable job/internship. Holding a bachelor's degree and not landing an internship is frustrating. According to the central bureau of Statistics, the youth unemployment rate stands at 19.4%. So, where exactly is the problem?

The problem starts with opportunities. They aren’t excellent opportunities for students where they can fit themselves and even if they find one they don’t meet the experience criteria. Moreover, there is a decline in entrepreneurs in Nepal restricting job opportunities. The ratio of job creators to job seekers is uneven. Job seekers are more in number than job creators. In such a scenario obviously more experienced people are prioritized and obviously, young job seekers have to suffer. The Nepali education system is questionable in such cases. The education system is unable to bridge the gap between knowledge and employment. When no one gives them an opportunity where will they gain experience as the education system seems to have loopholes? On the other hand, some students are landing opportunities. But how? Not all, but the majority of people use their connections. Without connections, you won’t even receive a basic internship. We cannot deny the fact that networks are one of the reasons why you are employed. 

But in some cases, if you find a perfectly suitable internship, you apply and send your resume and cover letter. You wait for a day, a week, and then a month for a reply. Do you get a reply? In most cases no. This annoys the youth. A reply is at least expected even if it’s a rejection. Months and months at home and all you get is frustrated and depressed. Questions like “Is my degree worth it?”, “Do I have a future here?” pops your mind. All these miseries compel youths to either go abroad or settle for an internship below their capabilities and abilities. This leads to mental health issues. 

On the other hand, you get an internship but are you getting paid? These internships usually have a heavy workload generally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. normally with Rs. 5,000 pay. Will this compensate your travel cost if you have to travel 2-3km daily? Some internships are even unpaid. Isn’t this exploitation? The basic cost of the interns needs to be covered. 

Simply put, we are losing potential talents, and the economy is restricted from potential GDP contributors. Such potential talents are important human resources for our economy which we fail to utilize and compel them to contribute to foreign lands. The internship crisis is a serious concern for developing economies like Nepal. Government should focus on various internship opportunities with regard to the skills of we youths.