There is a youth unemployment crisis and its getting worse.
The World Health Organisation has estimated that there will be 1 billion young people entering the job force in the next decade but there will only be jobs for 40% of them. This crisis cannot be addressed without the meaningful engagement of young people, in all their diversity, who best understand the barriers and challenges they are facing.
The available data and research on youth livelihoods lacks the perspectives of young people. Although many youth-focused initiatives aspire to engage young people at various stages, they lack the tools, approaches and incentives to make this a reality. We have released 3 research reports on Agri-tech, Hospitality and Tourism and insights into youth unemployment which have informed policy making and programme delivery in Rwanda, Ghana and Kenya.
Supporting Small-Scale Entrepreneurs
Read the latest report from the Youth Think Tank.
Read the reportAmplifying youth voices.
Young people lack access to support and resources to develop research and communications skills, or transformative leadership skills which will allow them to elevate their voice, and to become thought leaders who are meaningfully informing and influencing policies. The Youth Think Tank programme has equipped 69 young leaders across Africa with critical skills in youth-led research and meaningful youth engagement, the majority of whom have transitioned into related careers.
Through the Youth Think Tank, diverse, talented and enthusiastic young researchers from Uganda and 6 other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia and Ghana) generate evidence on livelihoods and employment to inform and influence the development sector towards meaningful youth engagement in their work. They use our unique 6 step youth-led research methodology, which is led by young people with technical support from our staff.
Building youth engagment.
They also offer expertise and advice to other organisations to help them work more effectively with young people.
Our research findings are driving critical discussions with decision makers on Living and Young people’s Livelihoods in Africa and around the world in platforms like the informing agendas and action-oriented discussions for Wilton Park dialogues, Global Youth Economic Summit, the MasterCard Foundation Young Africa Works strategy among others.
This programme was established, and is funded by, the MasterCard Foundation.
More Youth-Led Research.
