Out Of School Youth Research Articles

English

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of instructional resources in learning agriculture in secondary school on employment creation in Vihiga County, Kenya. The study was conducted in Emuhaya Constituency, and it adopted qualitative research design using descriptive survey method. The target population was the youth who learnt agriculture in secondary schools. The study purposively sampled 150 youth out of total population of 2,736 youth who sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in Emuhaya Constituency between 2010 to 2012. Data were collected using structured questionnaire. The instrument was validated by Academic experts from the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension. The instrument had Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.814. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 20, based on the objectives and research questions. The relationship between the secondary school Instructional resources and employment creation was tested using Pearson Correlation. Frequency tables and percentages summarized the results. The study established that teaching agriculture in secondary school using agricultural instructional resources was positively related to employment creation for out of school youth in Emuhaya Constituency of Vihiga County. The study recommended formulation of policies that promote harmonization between teaching agriculture and employment creation. It recommended youth to take up agricultural activities for employment, and recommended replication of similar studies in other levels of education such as primary and university. Key words: Agricultural policy, employment creation, learning resources, students attitude, agricultural education.

Good Practice Case Study on HIV Prevention Treatment, Support and Care to Adolescents and Young People in the Western Cape, Beaufort West, South Africa: Profiling the Out of School Youth Project of Partners in Sexual Health (PSH) Targeted at Ages 15-24

The good practice case study was undertaken in 2015 and mostly focussed on out of school youth with regard to adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights and HIV and Aids prevention. This study used a mixed method where both the quantitative as well as the qualitative research method were utilised and where the latter was the dominant method. The research focus on the target beneficiaries between the ages 15-24 and the services they received from Partners in Sexual Health (PSH). The findings indicate that this group are very early sexual active. The research has further established that when it comes to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) there is a huge need for youth friendly services and cognisance need to be taken of the needs of young people, which is not being identified and addressed fully. While the exact impact on beneficiaries of the Out of School Project has not been measured, there is considerable evidence of a positive impact on beneficiaries as reflected by the respondent’s comments. According to observations made by the key informants the uptake of the Out of School Project was excellent. The study concluded by presenting a list of recommendations.

Burden of tuberculosis disease among adolescents in a rural cohort in Eastern Uganda

BackgroundThe world health organization (WHO) declared tuberculosis (TB) a global emergency, mainly affecting people in sub-Saharan Africa. However there is little data about the burden of TB among adolescents. We estimated the prevalence and incidence of TB and assessed factors associated with TB among adolescents aged 12–18 years in a rural population in Uganda in order to prepare the site for phase III clinical trials with novel TB vaccines among adolescents.MethodsIn a prospective cohort study, we recruited 5000 adolescents and followed them actively, every 6 months, for 1–2 years. Participants suspected of having TB were those who had any of; TB signs and symptoms, history of TB contact or a positive tuberculin skin test (TST) of ≥10 mm. Laboratory investigations included sputum smear microscopy and culture.ResultsOf the 5000 participants, eight culture confirmed cases of TB were found at baseline: a prevalence of 160/100,000 (95% confidence interval (CI), 69–315). There were 13 incident TB cases detected in an average of 1.1 person years: an incidence of 235/100,000 person years (95% CI, 125–402). None of the confirmed TB cases were HIV infected. Predictors for prevalent TB disease were: a history of TB contact and a cough ≥ 2 weeks at baseline and being out of school, while the only predictor for incident TB was a positive TST during follow-up.ConclusionThe TB incidence among adolescents in this rural part of Uganda seemed too low for a phase III TB vaccine trial. However, the study site demonstrated capability to handle a large number of participants with minimal loss to follow-up and its suitability for future clinical trials. Improved contact tracing in TB program activities is likely to increase TB case detection among adolescents. Future studies should explore possible pockets of higher TB incidence in urban areas and among out of school youth.

Cognitive mapping: using local knowledge for planning health research

BackgroundCognitive mapping is a participatory research methodology that documents, in visual form, a construct of the local environment in which people live and work. We adapted this method to provide detailed data about study locales to inform recruitment and retention strategies for HIV prevention community based clinical trials.MethodsFour cognitive mapping studies were undertaken between 2005 and 2010, in and around Johannesburg in Orange Farm, and Hillbrow. Participants included members of clinical trial Community Advisory Boards (CAB), young people recruited from schools in Hillbrow and an organization for out of school youth, and men recruited from a database of men in the community interested in taking part in research. These groups participated in reconnaissance walks and in depth interviews, and drew detailed sketch maps.ResultsThe cognitive maps defined the physical boundaries of the research locales, provided insights into their social histories, and identified important characteristics of the population such as movement, social and sexual networks, ethnic and other divisions. Important differences between the official cartographic maps and the cognitive maps were raised. The mapping data was applied by identifying key areas for recruitment that recruitment staff members were less familiar with and that may otherwise have been overlooked.ConclusionsCognitive mapping is an effective, rapid and low cost method that can be used to inform recruitment and retention strategies for community-based clinical trial research. The method also provides a means for clinical trial researchers to involve the local community in research and to familiarise them with the social setting.

Education, Earning, and Engagement for Out-of-School Youth in 26 Developing Countries : What Has Been Learned from Nine Years of EQUIP3 ?

Since 2003, the EQUIP3 Project has worked to improve earning, learning, and skill development opportunities for out-of-school youth in developing countries. Education, literacy and numeracy programs were blended with employment and livelihood training, leadership, service learning, and civic engagement for more than 200,000 youth. This article explores what has been learned and what next steps should be. Out-of-school youth face increased challenges in successfully gaining employmentor livelihood. With less job experience, fewer networks and insufficient education that have failed to provide marketable skills, most outof-school youth work, but often at subsistence level or in unsafe conditions. Starting with what was known about youth programming at the time and building knowledge through on-the-ground experience, EQUIP3 saw youth through an “assets” rather than “deficit” lens. The project sees young people needing skills related to: 1) earning (including readiness skills training, technical skills, entrepreneurship skills); 2) education (literacy and numeracy integrated into work readiness and technical training as foundation for other skills needed for work); and 3) engagement (sense of affiliation and belonging, realistic, safe ways for youth to contribute meaningfully to communities, societies, even program implementation).

Metalcraft Livelihood Enterprise Development of the University of Northern Philippines

Metalcraft and Livelihood Enterprise Development of the University of Northern Philippines was implemented through its Extension Services Office focused on trainings to farmers, out-ofschool youth, and adults in rural communities in the province of Ilocos Sur, to enhance their creativity and skills in metal craft production. Areas included in the project were Vigan City, Sta. Maria, San Emilio, Sto. Domingo, Lidlidda and Santiago. The prime intension of having this program was to provide cooperators a lucrative business opportunity and become local entrepreneurs rather than migrating to urban areas or even working abroad. The program has been funded by the government of Spain through Ahencia Española Cooperacion Incorporada. A total of P2,002,093.07 has been provided and was used to train cooperators or beneficiaries of the project and used for the acquisition of tools and equipments used in the implementation of the project. A total of 53 cooperators were trained for three months. Trainings focused on production and reproduction, maintenance and repair of steel windows, grills, fences, gates, low cost nonmechanized agricultural rice tracer, plow, and the other farm implements. To ensure sustainability of the project implemented, the University organized the cooperators to form an association and had it registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For the association to operate as an enterprise, the STEAM-Municipal Science Technology Application Project (MSTAP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) provided them a seed capital with zero interest. Further, project cooperators borrowed complete tools and equipment for them to use in starting of their own livelihood projects with the assistance of the Agencia Española Cooperacion Incorporada. For the sustainability of the project, a memorandum of agreement was crafted and signed between the University and the cooperators. The project through the different associations had been able to achieved an average gross sale of P530,000 per quarter and having an average net income of P40,000.00 per quarter. Among the seven (7) livelihood organizations, the Gray Metalcraft Livelihood Association was noted for generating higher sales and income. Keywords - Metalcraft, Livelihood, Enterprise, Development, Nonmechanized, Rural Communities, Philippines

Assessing the impact of environment on life styles and life chances among out of school youths in Lagos metropolis

This research is motivated as a result of rapid changes in the lifestyle of our youths and the increasing deterioration of their welfare in terms of the increase in the number of out of school youth in the country, high incidence of child participation in economic activities and incidence of street children in Nigeria. Although, many researches have been conducted in areas of child welfare, most of these researches neglected the determining factors of these welfare indices as well as relationship between environment, poverty and life styles and life chances of our youth. This may have contributed to poor policy response to youth welfare in Nigeria as the literature has shown that child welfare continues to deteriorate. This study was based on primary survey data collected in Lagos between 7th and 21st of April, 2009 from 200 youth (boys and girls) aged 10-24. The sample, a one-stage purposive sampling, is representative of the city of Lagos. This stage increases the use of accidental sampling to select respondents around the Oshodi Motor parks. The individual based questionnaire schedule consists of 60 questions under six sub-sections. The purpose of the survey was to collect information on youth and vocational training. Retrospective longitudinal data were collected concerning residence, education, occupation, sexual unions, family backgrounds, and social attachments among others. Both male and female youth were asked about their perception on vocational training and skills acquisition. The quantitative data were entered, edited, transformed and cleaned. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in analyzing the data. Simple statistical techniques like Percentile and cross-tabulations were carried out. The study found among other things that participation in school or work is dictated by region, sector, child, parent and household characteristics. The study also noted that incidence of street children is a response to poverty, parental interest and regional and environment differences. The study thus suggested that policies aiming at improving child welfare in Nigeria should consider environment, sector, region, child, parents, household and community characteristics in their policy. Key words: Lagos, lifestyle, youth, Oshodi motor park, Nigeria.

Psychiatric disorder symptoms, substance use, and sexual risk behavior among African-American out of school youth

PurposeTo examine the association between symptoms of psychiatric disorder (i.e. depression, anxiety, and substance use) and sexual risk behavior in a sample of African-American adolescents and young adults in an employment training program. MethodsBaseline data were used from a pilot study of an intervention to reduce depressive symptoms among youth disconnected from school and the workforce. Participants were recruited from two employment training programs in East and West Baltimore (N=617; age 16–23 years). Data were collected through audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI). Mental health indicators were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the odds of sexual risk behavior for each mental health condition and combinations of conditions. ResultsLack of condom use at last sex was significantly associated with elevated anxiety symptoms. Number of sexual partners was associated with elevated depression symptoms and substance use. Early sexual debut was associated with substance use in the past 30 days. Also, there were differences in the likelihood of engaging in sexual risk behavior comparing groups with different combinations of mental health problems to those with no symptoms of disorder or substance use. ConclusionsThe results demonstrate the need for HIV prevention programs that target out-of-school youth, as they are likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. Our findings highlight the need to develop behavioral interventions that address disorder symptoms, substance use, and risky sexual behavior among youth in employment training programs.

"They should know where they stand": attitudes to HIV Voluntary Counselling and testing amongst a group of out-of-school youth

This article draws on a larger study that examined the ways in which out-ofschool youth responded to a context of HIV/AIDS and how they themselves can be active participants in HIV/AIDS prevention. In addition, four out-of-school youths, trained as fieldworkers, interviewed 32 other out-of-school youths in the Shongweni area of KwaZulu-Natal about their attitudes towards VCT. The out-of-school youth displayed a very positive attitude towards VCT and 91% stated their intentions of getting tested. However this attitude was contradicted by the facts that only nine (28%) had been for testing and that participants evidenced high levels of fear and stigma surrounding VCT. Of the participants, 43% stated a preference for a VCT site or hospital far from home, or, if they could afford it, a private doctor, to minimise the likelihood of being seen by someone they knew. This factor made it more difficult and costlier for outof- school youth to access VCT. For some, the fear of HIV infection is caught up with their existing social exclusion. In contrast, one reason for wanting to test amongst girls was the health of future children. While out-of-school youth understood the role of VCT in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the obstacles to acting on those intentions included the context of poverty, gender inequalities, stigma and the fear of gossip. Campaigns have succeeded in raising awareness, but translating awareness into action remains a central problem. Keywords: HIV/AIDS; out-of-school youth; South Africa; VCT

Empowering out of school youth through non- formal education in Kenya

Non-formal education, defined as any organized educational activity outside the established formal system whether operating separately or as an important feature of some broader activity that is intended to serve identifiable learning clienteles and learning objective is of great importance to society. It emerged out of the feeling that formal systems were failing in some aspects like irrelevant curriculum and other socio-economic problems. Owing to the dynamics of education in society today and the need to develop new approaches to non-formal education within the context of life long learning, development of non-formal education programmes for the out of school youth in Kenya is necessary. This paper discusses the need for a renewed approach to non- formal education for out of school youth. In the paper the definition and development of non- formal education is discussed highlighting the challenges and gaps in its development in Kenya. The problems and challenges facing the Kenyan out of school youth are highlighted. Recommendations are made on how best to design and implement non-formal education programmes to benefit a wider clientele of the out of school youth and adults.

Adult literacy in the Commonwealth Caribbean with special reference to a study of the functional literacy of young Guyanese adults

International databases report high rates of adult literacy for Commonwealth Caribbean countries which create the impression that these countries do not have a literacy problem. This is despite the fact that local and regional research has consistently pointed up serious weaknesses in the literacy skills of nationals at all levels, including university students. This paper questions whether the reported high adult literacy rates really reflect the reality of the situation in Commonwealth Caribbean countries and it uses a case study of Guyana - the poorest and most underdeveloped of the English-speaking Caribbean - to support its case. The paper describes the methodology of the test used for measuring levels (high, moderate, low) of achievement in functional literacy of out-of-school youth (OSY) in three domains (document, prose, quantitative) where literacy and numeracy functions are typically found in the society. Special reference is made to differences in achievement in functional literacy according to gender and ethnicity. The main findings of the study are: that only 11% of the OSY achieve at a high level of functional literacy: that females tend to achieve at a higher level of functional literacy than males and that there are significant differences in the achievement of the OSY from the different ethnic groups. The findings suggest a much lower adult literacy rate for Guyana than is usually reported and underscore the fact that failure to report rates that more accurately represent the situation in Commonwealth Caribbean countries will prolong the absence of political will to address the social and economic issues which lie at the root of the literacy problem. In countries where their provision is weak, adult and continuing education programmes are needed to help the adult population to meet the changing demands of society for improved skills in literacy and numeracy.

Out-of school youth in high-unemployment areas: An empirical investigation

Abstract A total of 551 interviews were conducted with 16-20 year olds living in high unemployment areas in Liverpool, London, Manchester and Wolverhampton. The diverse ways in which the young unemployed react to their predicaments are described, and explanations are offered for why black youth tend to be less acquiescent than whites. Overall, however, the analysis emphasises the ability of the young people at greatest risk of unemployment to devise their own coping strategies. Counsellors and other careers workers are advised to take these into account: otherwise their efforts are likely to be discounted by their clients.

Out-of school youth in high-unemployment areas: an empirical investigation

Abstract A total of 551 interviews were conducted with 16-20 year olds living in high unemployment areas in Liverpool, London, Manchester and Wolverhampton. The diverse ways in which the young unemployed react to their predicaments are described, and explanations are offered for why black youth tend to be less acquiescent than whites. Overall, however, the analysis emphasises the ability of the young people at greatest risk of unemployment to devise their own coping strategies. Counsellors and other careers workers are advised to take these into account: otherwise their efforts are likely to be discounted by their clients.

The Community School in the Philippines

The community-school program in the Philippines is both unique and ambitious. This national effort may be considered a distinct contribution to the concept of public education. The program is designed to promote the fullest growth and development of the school child, to give effective fundamental education to out-ofschool youth and adults, and to bring about improvements in a wide range of community activities. No other single movement is credited with doing as much to improve social and economic conditions in the Philippines. From the beginning of the public school system in 1901 until the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1935, education in the Philippines was directed primarily toward preparation for national independence. During this entire period the curriculum of the elementary school was highly academic and removed from the daily life of the children. Traditional subjects were taught, and objectives lagged behind changes in society; schools were out of touch with immediate community needs, problems, and concerns.