Patience Makwele
Prime minister Elijah Ngurare has backed a proposal to improve pay for young people entering the workforce, saying the government must do more if internships and entry-level programmes are failing to compensate them adequately.
Ngurare raised the issue at the Government Human Resource Conference in Windhoek on Monday, where he challenged human-resource practitioners to look beyond simply placing young people in the workplace and consider whether they are being given conditions that allow them to develop.
“If these interns are saying we are not paying well enough, what do we do? We must pay them well enough. And I know there is a proposal on this, and I will support it,” he said.
His comments come as Namibia continues to grapple with the challenge of preparing young people for the workplace, with internships and other work-based opportunities often serving as the first step into employment.
Ngurare said young people should not only be brought into the public service but should be given opportunities to gain practical experience and develop their skills.
The issue formed part of a wider discussion at the conference about how the government can build a workforce that is productive, adaptable and capable of meeting changing demands.
Institute of People Management of Namibia chief executive officer Lisa Matomola challenged human resources (HR) practitioners to examine whether workplaces are actually developing the people they employ.
She warned against a culture in which employees simply perform the narrow tasks contained in their job descriptions without developing broader skills.
Matomola said HR professionals have a responsibility to create workplaces where employees feel they belong and can grow, rather than becoming what she described as “salary collectors”.
“We’re responsible for creating the culture, and one of my favourite slogans is to remind you that a great workplace is stunning colleagues, and as HR professionals, we’re responsible for creating great workplaces where people come and they feel that they belong,” she said.
For young workers, that question of workplace culture can be just as important as getting the first opportunity.
An internship or entry-level position is often expected to provide practical exposure, professional networks and skills that can improve a young person’s chances of securing longer-term employment.
However, Matomola argued that development should not stop once a young person has been hired.
She said HR practitioners should focus on developing versatile employees who can contribute beyond the narrow boundaries of their job descriptions.
The conference also examined how technology is changing the workplace, with HR practitioners urged to prepare employees for the growing use of artificial intelligence rather than allowing technological change to leave workers behind.
Matomola said workplaces need to find ways of using AI while ensuring employees do not feel threatened by the technology and continue to see meaning in their work.
For young workers entering a changing labour market, the shift could be significant as the jobs and skills expected of employees continue to evolve.
Ngurare said the government has a responsibility to ensure that the people entering public service are properly supported.
His remarks also touched on the wider responsibility of HR practitioners, who he said cannot simply treat human-resource policies as paperwork.
The conference, held under the theme “Towards the professionalization of the public service of Namibia,” brought together HR practitioners, senior government officials and Public Service Commission members to examine how the country’s public workforce is recruited, developed and managed.
Public Service Commission chairperson ambassador Patrick Nandago said the gathering was intended to give HR practitioners an opportunity to share challenges, good practices and solutions while strengthening compliance with human-resource policies.
For young Namibians, however, the discussion goes beyond getting a foot in the door.
It is also about whether the workplace they enter gives them a fair chance to learn, earn and build a career.
