Journeys towards employment : the experiences of young adults in the Maldives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract

In a similar situation to most countries in the world, unemployment is rising in the Maldives and it is noticeable that more and more young adults are struggling to achieve gainful, productive employment. There are several difficulties and barriers faced by the young adults of today, before they even take their fist crucial step into the labour market. This research aims to identify these barriers faced by young adults in the employment process. To achieve this, the research conducted exploration in order to obtain an in-depth understanding into the experiences of urban young adults in the Maldives, who were in the process of finding and securing jobs. The methodology used in the research process was qualitative in nature with the use of individual interviews and focus group discussions, in order to achieve a close, in-depth view into the employment experiences of these young adults. The researched explored and identified several barriers to urban youth unemployment. Amongst the barriers to employment, the most common themes identified were in relation to educational achievements and discrimination. This study also identified several changes emphasised as important by the young participants in the research. They believe these changes are necessary, to combat the barriers that they face and they will also enhance better employment opportunities in the future.