Currently, Honduras ranks among the countries with the highest inbound migration to the United States, with statistics indicating that six in every ten Hondurans willingly leave their country to fend for themselves in the US. The plight for better living conditions has, in large part, led to young Honduras natives taking dangerous, life-threatening risks to cross into the US illegally. But what if we can offer young people of Honduras opportunities they seek within their country’s borders itself? Let’s dig deeper.
In Honduras, educational interference would often mean a lack of opportunities for young people in the workforce. As such, it comes to no surprise that a majority of Hondurans seeking better job conditions in the United States are under the age of 30. Research indicates that Honduras’ job market largely lacks skilled workers, making higher education both valuable and vital in potentially increasing availability in the labor industry. Providing young Hondurans with access to education remains one of the most necessary interventions to address migration beyond granting them the opportunity for regular salaried jobs in their home country.
However, improving education in Honduras is no easy feat. In remote villages and towns that lack basic infrastructure like hospital and grocery facilities, a good portion of children do not attend school due to lack of access. Secondary school, let alone a tertiary education, only becomes a dream for most young people in Honduras. The country’s schools offering a quality education typically cost money, which most families, particularly those living in rural areas, do not have. The Honduras government must, therefore, coordinate efforts with international donors to establish and maintain schools in underserved areas and provide scholarships and other incentives for young Hondurans to pursue education.
Furthermore, promoting education beyond the formal instructive curriculum is a must. Often, young people in Honduras disengage from the traditional academic format, and so, providing opportunities for skills acquisition through vocational training and boot camps is pertinent. By doing so, jobs that require technical skills, such as carpentry, mechanics, and IT specialists, will be available to young people in Honduras, which keeps them from seeking such professions outside the country’s borders. Education must, therefore, embrace various formats to appeal to young Hondurans, including entrepreneurial training, physical education and sports, and the arts.
The journey towards providing better education opportunities to young people in Honduras can assist in lessening the influx of Hondurans migrating to the US. Providing educational resources beyond the traditional learning sphere and to rural and urban areas not serviced is crucial to ensuring young people value their education and eventual integration into the working force. In effect, the Honduras government must collaborate with international donors to leverage the drive for better education that addresses the root cause of migration. By prioritizing the education system, Hondurans can soon live stable lives within their country’s borders, setting an example that pursuing opportunities outside their home nation isn’t always the ideal solution.