Job creation is one of the most current, urgent and pressing tasks facing African Governments today as the unemployment rates continue to sour, especially among young people who make up over 60% of the Continent’s population. Analysis from the World Economic Forum shows that sub-Sahara Africa has the highest level of youth unemployment—in fact, globally, out of 536 million youths underemployed, 147 million of them live in sub-Sahara Africa, compared with just 1.5 million in the 27 EU countries. We know that in Tunisia, for example, 40% of university graduates are unemployed, while in Nigeria, unemployment rate among young people is 51%; in Kenya, the rate is 40%.  In South Africa, despite the introduction of a scheme that pays companies for taking on young workers, the unemployment rate remains stubbornly at 50%, compare to 24% for the adult population. As we have seen across Africa, especially in South Africa, a consequence of high youth unemployment is the recurring incidence of high crime rate and drug-related gang violence.

At the Institute of Science and Technology, we believe there is no real reason for any government to be experiencing a horrendous level of joblessness among its youths, especially educated university graduates.

The Institute of Science and Technology’s schemes, highlighted below, directly address the concerns of governments in Africa – such as youth underemployment; declining youth labour force; low labour participation; higher youth unemployment rates compared to national average and adults; higher female youth unemployment rates; and young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

The Institute’s job creation solutions include:

TeachFirst  Solutions (TFS). TFS is aimed strictly at governments experiencing college graduate unemployment in maths, science and technology fields. The Institute of Science and Technology’s Centre for Youth Employment & Job Creation will conduct a short feasibility study, design and write-up the scheme and train people who are to implement TFS. TFS guarantees high skills teaching jobs for graduates.

Public-Private Partnership Job Creation solutions (PPPJCS). PPPJCS is aimed at both governments and the participating private sector organisations. The scheme is particularly suitable for a country experiencing unemployment among educated or literate young people. PPPJCS engages the private sector positively in solving the acute unemployment problem. The Institute of Science and Technology’s Centre for Youth Employment & Job Creation will conduct a short feasibility study, design and write-up the scheme and train people who are to implement PPPJCS. PPPJCS guarantees high/technical skills jobs for the unemployed young people.

Youth Engagement and Entrepreneurial Training solutions (YEETS). YEETS is aimed at governments experiencing high unemployment among artisans or low skill people. The Institute of Science and Technology’s Centre for Youth Employment & Job Creation will conduct a short feasibility study, design and write-up the scheme and train people who are to implement YEETS.

The Institute of Science and Technology has a range of solutions to the problems of youth unemployment that are currently facing many African countries quite needlessly in our view. Our professors will design tailored solutions to individual government particular needs. Also, the Institute’s experts are also able to supervise or oversee the implementation of TFS, PPPJCS and YEETS if required. Our solutions are both strategies to prevent and actions to address youth gangs and violence.