RBZ reports fifty percent of Pacific island people are now under the age of 25, a phenomenon called the "youth bulge."
PhD candidate, Aidan Crany, said the youth bulge is an untapped resource for the Pacific that if disregarded could cause social instability.
He said skill gaps in Pacific economies are not being filled by local students who are not encouraged to become trades people.
"The problem there seems to be as much as anything, skilled trades," he said.
