Youth – in search of opportunities is the subject of Caminhos da Reportagem

This interval (between 18 and 24 years old) generally marks the transition from studies to the job market – which is why this age group started to be used in the definition of the so-called “nether-nor generation”: young people who neither study nor work.

the episode Youth – looking for opportunities airs this Sunday (4) at 10 pm on TV Brazil.

Brasília (DF) – Caminhos da Reportagem – Students participate in a technical and vocational course which is a shortcut to the 1st job. The unemployment rate in Brazil is 8.8%, according to the most recent IBGE survey. Among young people aged 18 to 24, this rate is twice as high: 18%. Photo: Disclosure – Disclosure

“Brazil has one of the highest rates in the world: 10 to 12 million young people in this situation. It is an unassisted generation”, explains Ildo Lautharte, economist at the World Bank.

Throughout the program, the news team from Brazil Agency spoke with a series of young people who fit this profile, to understand the reasons for being out of school and without a job at the same time.

“I have been out of school for almost two years. This makes me worried, because I think: will I be able to complete my studies and find a job?” asks 19-year-old Nathan Oliveira.

Loretta Santos, 21 years old, finished high school, but did not continue her studies. She left her last job in January because, without a support network, she was unable to reconcile her professional routine with raising her child.

“On several days I had to leave work at 10 pm. But my son leaves the nursery at 5:30 pm. It was very difficult, right? I needed to rely on other people and we don’t always have other people to rely on,” he says.

“It is natural that companies, in general, want to hire people with experience. But how to break this barrier? This is done through specific programs and, mainly, internships. It is at this stage that young people begin to get used to the organizational world and develop new skills”, says the president of the Brazilian Association of Human Resources, Paulo Sardinha.

At the height of covid-19, Brazil had 35.9% of young people between 18 and 24 without any occupation. The analysis was carried out with the 38 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and seven potential members, such as Brazil.

The Brazilian result is only better than that of South Africa. The average of the 45 countries surveyed is 16.1%. In contrast, the Netherlands has the best performance: 4.6%. The study was released in 2022.

To understand this scenario, the report immersed itself in the experience of technical and professional courses, got to know firsthand the work of a non-governmental organization (NGO) that trains ex-prisoners and spoke with a teenager who is serving a socio-educational measure.

“I take a professional course here. I learned how to use the computer and I’m learning about the construction warehouse”, she says.

Economist Ildo Lautharte points out that the “neither-neither question is neither simple nor quick”. But it guarantees that there is a way out. “It needs greater attention in education, health, the job market. In short, a joint action, a basket of activities. It is what can solve the problem, ”he says.

Student Anna Júlia, 21, overcame episodes of depression and anxiety, went back to school and found a job after a year away from college and the job market.

Brasília (DF) – Caminhos da Reportagem – Anna Júlia got a job after 1 year without studying or working. Photograph Disclosure

“I think that sometimes we look like a labyrinth. You arrive somewhere and find a wall. So, you have to go back and take a different path. That’s my journey, it’s not a straight journey,” she explains.