Research consistently shows that Africa has the highest youth unemployment rate globally, with 60% of the continent’s population under the age of 25.
Furthermore, the recent national census statistics show that 71% of Namibia’s population is between the ages of 15-35. Studies further establish that youth unemployment across the continent is alarmingly high, with approximately 20% (the percentage could be more) of the youth facing unemployment. The situation is especially dire in sub-Saharan Africa, where the youth unemployment rate is the highest.
Lasting solutions must be found to address this crippling phenomenon for the sake of Africa’s future and sustainable development. This requires all stakeholders to develop and fund robust and functional programs, strategies, and policies, and to invest in key areas such as education, science and technology, commerce, and research.
The issue is not necessarily a lack of qualified Africans: rather, it is a question of aligning qualifications and training with the demands of the job market.
Education must be aligned to meet the changing environment, the demands of the present job market, and the needs of future jobs to adequately respond to the rapidly evolving and increasingly competitive global space. However, currently, there is a misalignment between what students study and the needs of the job market.
The situation is particularly noticeable when looking at teacher training in Namibia. It has been observed that the country has many graduate students, especially at the junior primary level, who are unemployed. The ministry of higher education, which is responsible for the registration of private higher education institutions, must take action. Several institutions, apart from UNAM and IUM are training teachers, including Monitronics, IOL, Namcol, Lingua Training Institute, and Sunshine, to name a few. Many of these institutions focus on training teachers at the junior primary level. Namibia cannot continue producing teachers for this level when there is no demand in the market. This has led to an oversupply of teachers in this area, saturating the market.
In addition to market saturation and the oversupply of certain professionals, other factors contribute to unemployment, such as population growth, a mismatch of skills, and barriers to entering the labour market.
Africa’s population growth is rapid, while job opportunities are limited due to slow economic growth. It is difficult to create jobs to absorb the expanding labour force when economic growth is sluggish.
The ministry of higher education must also carefully study the landscape of training institutions and not approve every institution that applies to train teachers. In this era of the fourth industrial revolution, the ministry should encourage new higher education institutions to explore opportunities in vocational training, ICT, and other areas rather than continuing to focus on teacher training.
It is crucial for students to thoroughly research the job market and align their studies with its demands. Pursuing education without understanding the employment landscape can lead to disappointment if opportunities are scarce in certain fields. Students must ensure that there is space for them in the market once they complete their studies. Additionally, the Ministry of Higher Education must carefully regulate training institutions, encouraging them to focus on areas where demand exists, such as vocational training and ICT, especially in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. By addressing the misalignment between education and market demands, Africa can take significant steps toward reducing youth unemployment and fostering sustainable development.
* Aletta Eises is the director of education in Oshikoto region. Her interests include education development, girls and women empowerment, and cultural development. This article is written in her personal capacity.