Why go heavy on Youth Empowerment?

Empowerment can be defined as the standards developed to improve the level of self-determination in people and in societies in order to encourage them to define their interests in a credible and self-determined way, behaving on their own sovereignty.

Empowerment serves as a method that can be used to improve the level of concern and commitment of the people in the community. Youth unemployment, poverty, and starvation are now common problems that governments in various parts of the world as well as international organizations are trying to fight. There has never been a better time to capitalize on youth empowerment as they are tomorrow’s ambassadors, and if suitable opportunities are made accessible to put their natural endowment to imaginative and profitable tracks, they are indeed competent at working beyond expectations.

The consequences of youth empowerment include acknowledged and competent youth, healthier and higher quality of life for the less-privileged, improved self-efficacy, and enhanced civil skills of the youths, national growth, entrepreneurship, less reliability on government by youths. Adopting technical and vocational skills acquisition by young boys and girls can address the skills void in the economy as well as provide means for young people to be self-employed and fully committed. Empowering the youth can also improve the supply of high-quality specialized skills needed to fit the growing infrastructure needs of some communities.

Empowerment can be categorized into 5 different skills as Life coping skills, Manipulative skills, Intellectual skills, Communicative skills, and Artistic skills.

Life coping skills are those skills that every individual is expected to obtain right from birth and as days go by they adapt and fit them into their daily life activities. Many of those skills are learned or acquired voluntarily or involuntarily. They are seen as those natural things that we do to survive e.g. farming, running errands, fishing, hunting, obeying rules and regulations, avoiding conflicts, etc. These acquired skills transcend from a simple form to a more learned and informed form.

Manipulative skills are those skills that are acquired in skills acquisition centers. These skills involve economic activities that skills like mining, engineering, construction, phone repair, computer education and repairs, carpentry, building, car mechanics and a whole lot of other skills are inculcated in the youths and bringing the learners into using all of their 5 sense organs since learning involves some manipulative activities.

Intellectual skills are those skills that coordinates in behavior and character. In its real sense, it is called the brain work. Without these skills no other skill can be functional because it’s the motivator and coordinators of all activities. The youths these days are playing a very prominent role in the acquisition of skills and also generating activities and initiatives in all their innovations.

Communicative Skills: in man’s life, communication plays a very important role. Man has learned different kinds of languages as days go by. These signs vary and are expressive in many forms. It could be body signs, language, and speech, gestures, symbols to mention but few.

Lastly, Artistic skills are also more like communicative skills but a little bit more complex. The artistic skills include very good writing skill, communication skill, and also making very good use of the four other skills discussed above efficiently.

In a work environment, there are a lot of benefits involved if the employers are empowered. It gives them a certain level of responsibility for making decisions in their daily work. When employers are empowered to step up and are involved in decision-making, you as employees are paving the way to success and creating a comfortable and conducive workplace culture.

In addition, empowerment makes the employers feel better, and important because an empowered employee is committed, loyal, and even more productive in all ramifications. Humans have a real longing for stability. As administrators, always bear in mind that employees want to have a certain degree of freedom, which must be given to them. If employees don’t notice a fast-rising plan in their career path, they lose interest at work and productivity falls. On the other hand, when you empower, they become more accountable, more capitalized, and more efficient on the job. It is very important to enable a culture at work where workers feel regarded and trusted. Behavior is an important part of the environment. It is not a one-step process it is a continuous one. It expects nurturing, and grooming of employees from the onset. Trust gives a secure haven for people to share their struggles, efforts, and achievements. It helps them unlock their full capacity and thrive as individuals and teams.

Conclusively, the basic way of working is going through a continual change. These days, people no longer see their jobs as a means of earning money, but rather as a lifestyle and as such would not want to be bossed around. Empowering workers is a continual process actions needs to be set progressively and not with a giant bounce.