WATER AND YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

In response to the gap of connecting youth in the Mediterranean to jobs post-graduation, compounded by the challenges of COVID-19 on the job market worldwide, this report includes a review of water sector job trends amidst COVID-19 and opportunities for Mediterranean youth employment in the sector. A review of government stimulus packages supporting the water sector and its jobs during the pandemic, as well as a review of opportunities for the Mediterranean member countries of the European Union (EU) to benefit from aspects of the Green Deal is included. The report is concluded with results from a survey conducted with youth from the Mediterranean highlighting their perception of the future challenges and skills required for the water job market of the future. As part of the UfM member countries, the Mediterranean region enjoys a large youth population which must be prepared for an expanding water sector job market in response to COVID-19 and beyond. In particular, the MENA region is made up of 200 million young people (between the ages of 18-24 years). However, despite a large youthful population, unemployment rates of this age demographic are the highest they have been in nearly 25 years, reaching 30% in 2017.2 Additionally, youth in the region often undergo a delayed transition to work post-graduation.3 In both the Mediterranean and the world at large, indicators show that matching the right qualifications of select water jobs has proven to be difficult. These indicators are evidence that much of the workforce was not well prepared. Four bottlenecks exist for making these matches last. These include a human resources shortage for specializations in water, a difference in qualifications needed pending on a rural vs. urban setting, a lack of incentives for workers, and lack of coordination between industry needs and supply from educational institutions.4 Stimulus packages, including economic recovery responses to COVID-19, to support jobs and the water sector are beginning to pave a way for opportunities for youth and the sector. With the onset of COVID-19, the main focus of government stimulus packages has rightly been prioritized to help with immediate health crisis needs. In relation to water, this has come in the form of aiding WASH initiatives in various developing countries to ensure all communities have access to safe water and soap for hygiene and handwashing. And while economic recovery falls next in line of government stimulus priorities in the wake of the coronavirus, many countries have begun to include green measures as a central part of their COVID-19 stimulus packages. The implications of these green measures are anticipated to have real impact on the future of Mediterranean waterways and water jobs.