Youth Aspirations and Expectations in Sri Lanka following Economic Liberalisation. Location Study 1: Thimbirigasyaya

Abstract

This is one of a series of reports examining shifts in the aspirations of youth for livelihoods, education and qualifications following the policies of economic liberalisation introduced from 1978. It examines shifts over time through comparisons of youth aspirations with the recollected aspirations of the youth’s parents. The study of aspirations is based exclusively on interviews with household members from different class groups. This report focuses on households in Thimbirigasyaya, a multi ethnic urban area within the Colombo Municipal Council limits. Key points from surveys include: 26.3% of females are unemployed, compared with 16.2% of males unemployment is highest in the age cohort of 16-20 years (nearly 73%) there were significant class differences in aspirations to university upper class and upper middle class youths were more likely to aspire to work in the private sector than those from the middle and lower classes though the majority of middle class young people aspired to work for the government, an even higher proportion of middle class parents had aspired to work in this sector