Yet, many youth can expect to remain unemployed or underemployed.
Why?
Because they lack the 21st-century skills required to attain further education, overcome gender inequities, and succeed in scarce formal sector jobs.
Africa is the world’s youngest continent
Today, nearly 50% of Africa's population is under 18.
By the turn of the century, 50% of the world’s children will be African.
Soon, these young people will become the region's leaders and workforce.
The significant investment in education made by families too often leads to a broken promise. For many reasons, including the legacy of colonial structures, the investment in education leads to an unjust outcome for families and youth.
Young people who graduate secondary school find that jobs do not exist and their education has done little to prepare them for a labor market where 85-90% work within the informal sector—a tragedy for families who have invested so many resources in accessing education.
For youth unable to complete or access secondary school at all, the situation is even more disheartening, as there are currently few viable alternatives that provide a pathway to improved livelihoods and dignified work in the informal economy—further perpetuating cycles of poverty.