In Honduras, about 40,000 young university graduates do not have a job. There are previous difficulties and great challenges ahead.

Honduras faces major challenges when it comes to modernizing its education system and labour market. The country has an average youth unemployment rate of 53%, which sets it above the regional average of 40% and only below Guatemala.

According to Marcial Solis, Minister of Education, the greatest difficulties are faced among people who access the education system at an older age than they should.

The first challenge for Honduras is to manage for every citizen to access the education system when they should, making sure that education reaches every corner of the country, and retain citizens within the system to work on quality.

The education system must be better connected to the world of work, updating basic contents and interacting with the labour sector through professional practices and apprenticeships.

The labour market must be modernized, accepting different forms of formal labour and developing active employment policies that enable workers to access training and upskilling.

Ratification of ILO Convention 181 on Private Employment Agencies seems to be key in order to achieve public-private articulation, reduce informality and tackle youth unemployment.