Somalia has a youth unemployment rate of 35%, leading many young people to prioritise creating their own jobs through entrepreneurship rather than struggling in an over-crowded job market. However, lack of visibility of the needs of the market means would-be entrepreneurs have to be creative in how to get a grasp of the market and identify their niche. 

Osman Mursal was one such individual with a long-held dream to run his own business. Following graduation from university, and an unsuccessful job hunt, he discovered The Next Economy while scrolling on social media, and put his application in. 

The Next Economy offers two tracks, Entrepreneurship and Employability. Despite his ambitions as an entrepreneur, Osman applied for the Employability Track and completed an internship with The Next Economy at a partner accountancy firm. “I believe that every problem leads you to innovate. When I applied my first need was to find a job, even though it was my plan to become an entrepreneur. When you first graduate you don’t know the market situation.” 

Through his internship, Osman was able to take on responsibilities as part of a team, learn what was expected in a professional workplace, and key for Osman, led him to identify a gap in the market that with his degree in Economics and Management, he felt confident he could fill. Osman ran his idea by a colleague, and when he completed his internship, was able to take on clients at his own accountancy company. 

Osman wants his company to play a role in reducing youth unemployment rates in Somalia. “My vision for the future is how I could improve the employability of university graduates in my country. As an economist, I know training and skills of graduates can reduce unemployment in the whole country”.