Estonia's youth unemployment rate is at its highest level in recent years, at 18.2 percent. But we should also be increasingly concerned about young people who are not in education, employment or training (the so-called NEET group). In Estonia, approximately one in 10 young people aged 15–26 falls into the NEET category.

Estonia's problems are often blamed on our small population. Yet youth unemployment is also rising in much larger countries. The root of the problem, therefore, is not that there are too few Estonians. The labor market has changed rapidly and getting that first opportunity is becoming increasingly difficult for young people. It is no longer only those who do not want to work who are unemployed — increasingly, even young people who are actively looking for work cannot find a job.

But what lies behind these figures? A young person who is neither studying nor working unfortunately ends up on the margins of society. Inactivity can quickly turn into loneliness and isolation. Days are spent in front of a computer screen and — as anyone who has spent a long time unsuccessfully looking for work probably knows — confidence in oneself and in the idea that there is a place for them in the labor market quickly disappears. The longer a young person remains without work or study, the harder it becomes to enter the labor market later.

Against this backdrop, it was particularly dismaying to hear Tallinn Deputy Mayor for Education Andrei Kante's (Center Party — ed.) explanation for Tallinn Technology College's lack of popularity among girls. In his view, the problem is that the college does not offer enough programs that interest girls. Fortunately, representatives of the college immediately rejected this view, saying that such thinking is outdated and harmful to society.

When a politician in power essentially says that technology-related fields are not meant for girls and that more suitable programs should be created for them, he is reinforcing precisely the stereotypes that Estonia should have left behind long ago. Through the deputy mayor's words, Tallinn is sending the message that higher-paying occupations with better career prospects — engineer, mechanic or IT specialist — are for boys, while girls should choose service, care work or other traditionally lower-paid fields that are supposedly more likely to "interest" them.

This kind of thinking is just as harmful to boys as it is to girls. If a boy wants to study to become, for example, an early childhood teacher, occupational therapist, speech therapist or nurse, prejudice and misplaced embarrassment may prevent him from making that final decision. There is extensive research on this and the OECD has reached the same conclusion: perceptions of which occupations are "women's work" or "men's work" directly influence young people's choices of fields of study.

Yet the fields mentioned above are precisely the ones that need more men. Children benefit when both male and female teachers work in kindergartens and schools. Every field stands to benefit from greater diversity.

There are occupations in which biological differences may, on average, give one sex an advantage, such as strength-based activities at the absolute elite level or the most physically demanding tasks. Most modern occupations, however, require knowledge, teamwork, creativity and dedication, not lifting rocks.

At a time when artificial intelligence will inevitably change the nature of work and affect almost every occupation, politicians should be sending a very different message. Instead of crudely dividing occupations into "women's" and "men's" work, we must do everything possible to ensure that every young person acquires the skills needed to adapt in a rapidly changing world.

Those who know how to use technology, acquire new skills, combine different fields and think critically will succeed. We cannot afford to leave some young people with the impression, while they are still in school, that certain opportunities simply are not for them.

Only systemic change can address the current situation. Vocational education must become a deliberate and valued choice for young people in Estonia, rather than a fallback option for those who did not get into university. That requires closer cooperation with employers, more internship opportunities and greater societal respect for skilled trades.

At the same time, hiring young people must be made more attractive to employers. One option worth considering would be reducing employers' tax burden on young workers, making it less risky for businesses to offer someone their first job.

The Riigikogu's decision to allow 16-year-olds to serve alcohol was also a step in the right direction, but that alone is not enough to improve young people's prospects in the labor market. A broader package of measures is needed to support young people's education and their transition into employment.

Higher education, for example, could be made more flexible so that parents can study part time free of charge and having a child does not mean interrupting their education or facing a financial penalty. The public sector, one of Estonia's largest employers, could also launch a pilot program to create more first-job opportunities specifically for young people.

Youth unemployment will not decline on its own. It requires political decisions that expand young people's opportunities, whether in education or in getting their first job, and that help break down outdated notions about which choices are "right" for them.

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