An increasing number of young Africans have begun to have doubts about how the traditional job market will remain reliable as an avenue for making their dreams come true, despite their credentials and other necessary skills required for them to land lucrative jobs.
With youth unemployment, underemployment, and limited opportunities remaining key concerns for young African graduates, an increasing number of young adults have lost hope in the job market. Here are some of the reasons why young Africans no longer trust the job market.
1. Nepotism Takes Priority over Qualifications
Sometimes qualifications alone cannot cut it during the search for job positions among many young Africans.
Commonly, nepotism becomes prevalent in the employment process across many sectors since family connections, politics, and friendship come into play.
Once networking becomes a priority, talent becomes an unnecessary factor.
2. Education vs. Employer Needs
There is still a major disconnect between the level of schooling provided in schools and the requirements of future employers.
After completing school and gaining a strong theoretical background, graduates lack the practical and technological skill set required today.
The result is that many young Africans become caught in a vicious circle of requiring job experience to find a job and a job to gain experience.
3. Low Pay Causes Resignation
Although offered formal sector positions, a considerable number of African youth complain about the poor pay, high workload, and low opportunities to advance in career.
In some industries, young people need to put in many hours but are poorly paid to cover rising costs.
The problem caused many young Africans to consider other ways, such as being self-employed.
4. Informal Sector Becomes the Norm
Each year, a large number of young African people join the workforce; however, there are not enough formal sector job opportunities.
Hence, many of them are pushed to seek employment in the informal sector – street vending, driving services, trading, and freelance activities.
While such employment allows one to earn money, most of these jobs lack stability, health insurance, and pensions, and do not offer long-term career growth.
5. Economic Growth Is Not Creating Job Opportunities
There have been cases of economic growth in some African economies due to the growth in sectors like technology, telecoms, and natural resources.
But such economic growth does not necessarily mean there are ample job opportunities for young people.
The inability to create quality job opportunities continues to shape the migration patterns, as a lot of skilled individuals migrate to other countries in search of better pay packages and job security.
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Conclusion
African youth are not turning away from work; they are asking questions regarding whether or not the existing job market lives up to their standards. Solving problems like unemployment and skills gaps will be key to developing Africa’s future labor force.
