Impact of cybersecurity skill-up programme on youth unemployment mitigation for community development in Imo State

Abstract

Youth across societies hold a prominent position and are one of a country's greatest assets. However, many of the youth are idle and unemployed. In Nigeria, NBS reported youth unemployment at 6.5%, and 45.65% in Imo State. This study explored the impact of the cybersecurity skill-up programme on youth unemployment mitigation for community development in Imo State. It was guided by one research objective and one research question. A descriptive survey design was implemented, focusing on a population of 6,700 youth participants in the cybersecurity skill-up capacity-building centers throughout the state. A sample of 469 respondents was chosen using a proportionate sampling method, and the research instrument was a structured questionnaire named “Cybersecurity Skill-up Programme Questionnaire” (CSPQ). For data analysis, the mean and standard deviation were applied to answer the research question. The findings indicate that cybersecurity has enabled youth to work as freelancers and consultants, allowed them to adapt easily to changes in the digital job market, increased their confidence in seeking ICT-related jobs, improved professional networking opportunities for them, equipped them with requisite knowledge to start a technology-based business, and enabled them to support small businesses and organizations in securing their digital systems. The study concludes that cybersecurity skills empowered young individuals to pursue freelance and consulting opportunities and facilitated their adaptability to shifts in the digital job market. It recommends that educational reforms focused on skill development, particularly in digital literacy, computational thinking, and problem-solving, should be introduced even in areas with scarce technological resources.