Cyprus's Costliest Export: Why We're Training a Generation We Can't Keep
Cyprus's Costliest Export: Why We're Training a Generation We Can't Keep
We often talk about Cyprus’s exports – citrus fruits, halloumi, perhaps even tourism as an intangible commodity. But there’s a far more valuable, and tragically overlooked, export that leaves our shores with increasing regularity: our own educated youth. It’s a bitter irony that we invest heavily in nurturing bright minds, only for our structural economic issues and limited opportunities to compel them to seek their fortunes elsewhere. We’re not just experiencing a ‘brain drain’; we’re actively producing and then offloading our most precious resource.
A recent youth survey, highlighted by in-cyprus.com, paints a stark picture of the struggles faced by young Cypriots. A staggering 60% reported grappling with employment and the ongoing housing crisis. But beyond the practical challenges, there's a deeper malaise: a profound institutional distrust. The top concerns, deeply impacting their outlook, included:
- Corruption, scoring an alarming 8.68 out of 10
- Pervasive meritocracy issues (8.5)
- A notable lack of youth in high positions (7.87)
- Brain drain itself, which registered a significant 7.78
This demonstrates that our youth are keenly aware they are part of this unfortunate trend. They feel sidelined, undervalued, and ultimately, forced to look abroad for a fair shot.
Despite the state’s efforts – such as the development of the 1st National Youth Strategy in 2017 and the upcoming 2nd National Youth Strategy 2030 – the reality on the ground remains stubbornly difficult. While our youth employment rate for 20-29 year olds stood at a seemingly decent 71.50% in December 2023 (EUROSTAT), this figure masks a crucial qualitative problem. A 2024 report indicated that around 57% of young people (15-34) with medium or high education felt a strong match between their field of study and their job. While comparable to the EU average, this still leaves a significant portion feeling mismatched, questioning the relevance of their hard-earned qualifications here at home.
And then there are the paradoxes. EURES data for 2024 identifies critical shortage occupations in Cyprus, even as our educated youth struggle to find their footing:
- Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals
- Building and related trades workers (excluding electricians)
- Cleaners and helpers
Yet, as Dionysius pointed out in his 2023 paper, local universities produce "relatively few ICT graduates compared to demand," leading to a heavy reliance on imported talent. This creates a bizarre scenario where we educate our youth, they struggle to find suitable roles, and then we fill essential gaps with non-EU nationals, who now occupy 42% of jobs. Investment in the tech sector, while present, hasn't translated into enough high-value jobs to retain our local talent, and local upskilling efforts simply aren't keeping pace, as highlighted in previous Cyprus Insider analyses.
So, what does this mean? It means our universities, often funded by the public purse, are effectively acting as training grounds for other economies. We painstakingly equip our brightest with skills, knowledge, and ambition, only for them to encounter a domestic landscape marred by nepotism, a scarcity of genuinely innovative opportunities, and a stifling cost of living. We nurture their potential, celebrate their graduations, and then watch as they pack their bags, driven by a legitimate desire for meritocracy, career progression, and a stable future that Cyprus, in its current state, often struggles to provide.
This isn't just about statistics; it's about the erosion of our future. Each young person who leaves takes with them not just their skills, but their potential contributions, their consumer power, their creativity, and their role in the social fabric. We are, quite literally, trading away our future for a status quo that prioritizes short-term fixes and overlooks systemic rot. Unless there is a seismic shift in how we foster genuine meritocracy, incentivise high-value job creation, and confront the issues of corruption and unaffordable housing head-on, Cyprus will continue to excel at its most costly, and regrettable, export: the minds of its next generation.