Many empirical research studies have highlighted that the majority living in urban underserved
settlements are engaged in insecure, low income livelihood sources mainly in the informal
sector. In that context, the present study sought to understand the personal level factors
contributing to the inability of youth in underserved settlements to gain productive employment.
A representative, random sample of one hundred youth (men and women from the age group 15
– 29 years and who have left schools) was selected from two underserved settlements in the
Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretary?s Division for the study.
The study has identified thirteen factors as the personal level limitations inhibiting their access
to productive employment. Dropping out from schools, low level of educational attainment, lack
of participation in vocational training, lack of participation in high demanding vocational
training programmes in the labour market, limited access to training programmes offered by
recognized training providers and dropping out from vocational training programmes were
among the first six factors. The next four factors were lack of interest in investing on human
capital, lack of skills in obtaining information on human capital investment and on competitive
labour markets, low levels of aspirations and passive acceptance of the underprivileged
circumstances. High frequency of changing occupations, marriage at very young ages and lack
of skills in handling issues relating to personal relationships were among the last three factors.
It can be also concluded that the above factors identified are often seen to be inter-related and
therefore it is not easy to resolve the multifaceted problems that confront youth in these
settlements. Therefore, this interdependence nature has to be considered with much concern in
order to find solutions for these problems