Tsegmid, builder
“My family is from a remote district of Zavkhan province; my parents are herders. I am not returning home because I had problems with my angry and – at times – violent father,” says 18-year-old Tsegmid, a current resident with Huuhdiin Urgoo, an NGO financed by the SDC.
“On 10 February 2014 I came to Ulaanbaatar,” recalls Tsegmid. “Thanks to an apprenticeship arranged by the NGO, I worked on a construction site in Zaisan (a wealthy suburb of Ulaanbaatar). First, I started as an assistant, but now I do everything: I finish the interiors of buildings. The apprenticeship was very important. I want to pursue an engineering degree. My dream is to start a private construction company and contribute to the construction sector in Mongolia. I want to be able to support my parents and brother to have a better life.”
The NGO Huuhdiin Urgoo operates on a small budget, providing accommodation and food for young people from abusive homes and, equally importantly, providing apprenticeships. Apprenticeships and on-the-job training, in addition to creating links between training and private enterprise are a model largely non-existent in Mongolia. Critical to Huuhdiin Urgoo’s success is its links with private enterprise: finding the right partner is essential.
The UNFPA’s Youth Development Programme, joint funded by the SDC and the Government of Mongolia, will draw on its existing links with the Ministry of Labour, utilising this example to advocate for the institutionalisation of on-the-job training and advocating for an increased focus on youth employment.
