Addressing unemployment and creating awareness on adolescent health issues has always been a challenge for the government. It becomes even more of a challenge with unemployment at 3.7 percent and a majority of HIV infected persons aged between 25-29 years. Creating jobs and training programs and educating the youth on issues like unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections were the focus of a two-day workshop organized by the Youth Centre in the capital. "It was organized to educate the out of school youth and make them agents of change in their community,' said the counselor at youth centre, Amrith Badhur Subba. Comprehensive school health program officer, Karma Choden, said that though youth were aware of these issues they are not skilled enough in tackling them. "It's like you know you have to wash your hands before eating but you don't.' About 60 participants comprising class X and XII dropouts and graduates discussed and suggested that these problems could be tackled by conducting more awareness campaigns among the rural populace, setting up more health centers with proper health facilities and creating jobs for school dropouts in the private sector. "Teenage pregnancy is an issue in rural places because they lack information on such issues,' said a participant. Despite the health ministry's fear message strategy among others on HIV and AIDS, the number of cases continues to rise. The effect of current strategy, called the high-level advocacy program led by high authorities, is yet to be seen though observers point out that it does seem to work. Establishing vocational training centers, apprenticeship training programs for school leavers and promoting private public partnership were some of the programs initiated by the government to address unemployment. While these strategies worked for those who didn't mind doing manual work, the department of employment now plans to employee youth by encouraging graduates to be community leaders with an increase in the salary, by enhancing back office centres, like call centers, and by encouraging foreign direct investment. One of the strategies in the 10th Five year plan is a national service program that provides internship and apprenticeship program to address unemployment. "But this depends on other external factors and the key players in the market,' said career counselor Kezang Choden of the department of employment. "The country's economy has to grow and both private and public sectors have a role to play here.' She said that as the economy grows a certain portion of unemployment is also taken care of. "One of our policy makers once said that any healthy economy would have a certain percentage of unemployment, but even if its good for the economy it's not fair for those unemployed.' By Sonam Pelden spelden@kuensel.com.bt