Policy Proposal

National Youth Employment & Skills Development Act

Purpose

To reduce youth unemployment and underemployment by mandating local hiring, investing in skills development, and incentivizing employers to train and hire South Sudanese youth across all sectors.

Key Provisions

• Local Hiring Quotas: Minimum 60% South Sudanese staff in oil, construction, logistics, telecoms, banking, and NGO sectors; rising to 70% within 3 years.
• Graduate Trainee Requirement: Companies with 50+ staff must run 12‑month paid graduate programs (min. 3% of workforce).
• TVET Boost: Establish or upgrade at least one accredited technical/vocational center per state; align curricula with market demands.
• Skills Levy & Incentives: 1% payroll levy earmarked for training; levy rebates/tax credits for firms that exceed local hiring and training targets.
• Local Advertising Rule: All vacancies posted locally for 30 days before foreign recruitment.
• Equal Pay for Equal Work: Prohibits discriminatory pay gaps between local and foreign employees for equivalent roles.
• Transparency & Audits: Annual workforce reports; penalties and contract ineligibility for non‑compliance.

Implementation & Governance

• National Youth Employment Council (NYEC): Independent oversight body with youth, private sector, and government reps.
• Labour Market Information System: Public portal for vacancies, apprenticeships, and skills gap data.
• Procurement Preference: Government tenders reward bidders meeting/exceeding youth hiring & training metrics.

Expected Outcomes

• Rapid absorption of graduates and TVET alumni into the workforce.
• Reduced dependency on external labour for non‑specialist roles.
• Stronger domestic skills base and higher productivity.