Youth, jobs, and structural change: Confronting Africa’s “employment problem”
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Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.
Youth employability
Globally, nearly 68 million young women and men are looking for and available for work, and an estimated 123 million young people are working but living in poverty. The number who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) stands at 267 million, a majority of whom are young women. Significantly, young people are three times as likely as adults (25 years and older) to be unemployed.
Skills development is a primary means of enabling young people to make a smooth transition to work. A comprehensive approach is required to integrate young women and men in the labour market, including relevant and quality skills training, labour market information, career guidance and employment services, recognition of prior learning, incorporating entrepreneurship with training and effective skills forecasting. Improved basic education and core work skills are particularly important to enable youth to engage in lifelong learning as well as transition to the labour market.
Research papers
Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues.
The paper argues that sub-Saharan Africa does not face a severe employment problem but that of the absence of decent job opportunities. It argues that Africa’s employment problem is symptomatic of its lack of structural change. The paper also explains that industrialization can boost formal job creation through labour intensive growth. Nevertheless, critical changes in the labour market and in the education system are needed to increase the employment intensity of growth in the formal economy. In the short run a number of interventions can be undertaken to improve the employment prospects of new labour force entrants:
- Addressing open unemployment and helping the young find better jobs,
- Building relevant skills, and
- Reforming labor regulations and institutions.
Economic growth
Regional development
Youth
Africa
