Youth employment in sub-Saharan Africa: Taking stock of the evidence and knowledge gaps
Date
2015-01-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The labour market structure along with challenges for youth employment varies across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In low-income, agrarian economies employment in low-productivity subsistence agriculture dominates. The immediate priority is to raise farming productivity. The other large category is resource-rich economies. Here, the challenge is for resource wealth to translate into jobs in the secondary and tertiary sectors. The paper provides background and context to guide policy making. The main employment obstacles for young people often lie outside the usual scope of labour market programming. Various types of skills development programs, from second-chance education to technical training, are important.
Description
This scoping paper is one of a series jointly commissioned by the International Development Research Centre and the MasterCard Foundation to shed light on the critical challenge of youth employment in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to inform new areas of research support that will build an evidence base for practical and policy-relevant solutions.
item.page.type
Scoping Study
item.page.format
Keywords
TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK, LABOUR MARKETS, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, LABOUR POLICY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SMALL ENTERPRISES, INCLUSIVE GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, SOUTH OF SAHARA