Africa’s High Youth Unemployment: Are Irrelevant Remedies To Blame?

Africa has the youngest population in the world which keeps growing rapidly, with almost 200 million people aged between 15 and 24, and is expected to double by 2045. Africa's youth population is not only growing rapidly, it is also getting better educated, currently 42 percent of youths have secondary education and it is expected that 59 percent of youth will have secondary education by 2030, according to the statistics by African Economic Outlook.

While six of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world are in sub-Saharan Africa, the unemployment rate for the region is 6%, according to the African development bank. Compared to the world average of about 5%, its rate may not seem that high. But worse enough most of African countries, youth unemployment occurs at a rate more than twice that of adults, according to African development bank.

But, those who have some education often exhibit skills irrelevant to current demand in the labour market, in a situation where educational and skill requirements are increasing, resulting in zillions of unemployed and underemployed youth.

The question is still, why high youth unemployment in Africa?

Too often, vocational training is seen as way to back up failed basic education system, without denying vocational training has advantage of improving skills of related technology and develop them further in work place.

However, vocational training by itself is likely to be insufficient to overcome a context of high levels of youth unemployment because of serious difficulties in integrating youth into ave the labour market, especially amongst early school leavers because there are myriad of factors leading to youth unemployment such as lack of job creation, unrealistic wage expectations on the part of youth, negative attitudes towards unexperienced young workers, poor access to fundamental education, government policies that discourage work.

Unfortunately, among three important skills (foundation skills, technical/vocational skills and transferrable skills) needed to find job, transferrable skills have been ignored such as analysis, communication, problem solving, creativity, and leadership, which can be transferred and adapted to different environments. Staying in school helps develop these skills, as do internships or work-based programs. These skills are very important because everything change except change itself.

All in all, Africa's youth unemployment is more of quality (underemployment, vulnerability and working poverty) than quantity. To reduce youth unemployment we need to focus on addressing rising labour market mismatch problems through training and re-skilling programmes; to inform youth on what skills are demanded in the labour market; directing actions on youth joblessness; and mainstreaming employment in national employment policies and national development frameworks.

Ally Samiji
AOVS Africa Youth Ambassador For Tanzania
Email:[email protected]
Sales Officer, Offgrid- electric Company.