5.3.1 Strategies for Youth Employment and Sustainable Livelihoods a. Ensure that development strategies and programmes incorporate youth employment concerns; b. Encourage and develop specific youth-oriented programmes that improve the skills, productivity and experiences of young people through a range of institutions, including schools, vocational training centres, community organizations and NGOs; c. Encourage equal employment opportunities for the youth that have attained the age of majority, with particular attention to reducing gender inequities and inequalities; d. Establish a Youth Fund and other institutional funds as well as remove barriers to ensure access to capital by youth; e. Promote career guidance and counseling in both public and private sectors, to assist young people more efficiently in finding employment; f. Encourage enterprises to play an active role in the provision of continuous training to young employees. Institute an incentive scheme for employers to invest in skills development for young people; g. Establish/encourage training programmes for promoting selfemployment activities; h. Advocate for representation of youth in tripartite bodies and tripartite consultations; i. Make available and accessible accurate data disaggregated according to gender, disability, and rural versus urban area on youth employment, unemployment and underemployment to facilitate prioritization of issues in development programmes; j. Promote youth entrepreneurship by including entrepreneurship training in the school curricula, providing access to credit, business, development skills training, mentorship opportunities and better information on market opportunities; k. Develop job creation strategies for youth particularly for young women, young people with disabilities and young people living in rural areas; l. Regulate the informal economy to prevent unfair labour practices and exploitation of youth; m. Foster greater linkages between the labour market, entrepreneurship opportunities, and education and skills development to ensure youth realize their full development and potential. 18