Problem Statement

The majority of youth in Africa’s rapidly growing population do not have stable employment opportunities and are engaged in low-paid, menial, or insecure jobs. One-third are unemployed. This problem exists because job creation has not matched the number of graduates, and where jobs do exist, skilled labor is lacking. The consequences of youth unemployment and underemployment in the region are pernicious: a low standard of living, multi-generational poverty, increased outmigration, and conflict and instability. Above all, youth unemployment represents a failure to capitalize on the continent’s greatest assets: its large and growing population of talented young people.Youth without adequate parental care are particularly affected by this problem, often unable to gain the necessary skills to obtain decent jobs through training or higher education, or to access social networks that support finding decent work. This is particularly problematic for young women, who often do not have the same access to education and training as their male peers, depriving them of their rights and the ability to be independent, including the pursuit of formal employment. This perpetuates a cycle of gender inequality.Inadequate investment in young people limits their ability to reach their full potential. Targeted skills development provides a lifetime of benefit for youth and the economy. Youth empowerment strategies designed to engage young people ensure that lasting social and political change is achieved. Finally, innovative ideas that create decent jobs and employ youth support increased productivity and stronger, more inclusive growth and development across the continent.