According to UNICEF, approximately 258 million children and adolescents are out of school globally, most residing in low-income countries. These young people (and the many more young adults beyond school age who are unemployed) represent stifled potential, and by developing their productivity, we can drive significant economic growth and societal improvement.
Out-of-school youth are often trapped in a cycle of poverty, lacking access to quality education, vocational training, and employment opportunities. As these young individuals enter adulthood without the necessary skills, their potential to contribute productively to their economies diminishes, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and underdevelopment. They represent a significant opportunity for investment.
I have witnessed groups of unemployed day labourers hanging out by the roadside in Africa, hoping to be picked up for a day’s work. Exploitation is rife, with day rates driven by who is prepared to do the job for the lowest possible price.
Investing in out-of-school youth is not merely a social responsibility but an economic imperative.
Growth of formal economies is the only way to sustain systematic investment in education and other major societal problems. A study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) suggests that reducing the number of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET) could significantly boost GDP for many developing countries. By equipping youth with comprehensive skills, we create a more capable workforce, stimulate innovation, and reduce poverty. Moreover, a robust tax-generating economy enables systemic education reforms, ensuring fewer children leave the educational system to begin with.
Harnessing local knowledge and culture enriches local economies, the global economy, and civil society.
Youth who are grounded in resource-constrained life experience can offer unique perspectives and innovative solutions that are culturally sensitive and sustainable.
I have also seen this firsthand, not least in some ingenious roadside car repairs! We can build a more inclusive and vibrant global economy and civil society by valuing and integrating local knowledge.
A multifaceted approach
To effectively integrate out-of-school youth into the economy, we must adopt a holistic approach to skill development. This goes beyond basic education, including vocational training, life skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurial abilities.
Vocational training programs tailored to the local economy's needs can provide immediate employment opportunities.
Life skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, are essential for personal and professional success.
In an increasingly digital world, proficiency in technology is non-negotiable. Being computer literate allows curiosity to flourish. It gives a platform for multi-dimensional exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Pestalozzi World's SkillsHub Programme
It has been a huge pleasure, in conjunction with our Zambian staff and partners such as Raising Futures Kenya, Edulution and Enko Education, to develop the SkillsHub concept which represents the holistic approach described above.
The Problem:
97% of children (lowest wealth quintile) do not finish secondary school, 74% never enter formal employment
Formal vocational training requires youth to have secondary-level education, excluding those who need it most.
It is aimed at broad subject mastery over years, time that those living on less than $2 a day cannot afford, at the expense of opportunities that might present for informal, temporary work they need to survive.
Solution:
The SkillsHub is a multifunctional vocational training facility focused on digital and agricultural science skills for young people who otherwise face unemployment and exclusion from formal economies.
The 12-month programme will democratize access to vocational training by including the initial 6-month remedial Foundation numeracy, ICT, and literacy programs (Head), designed to bring clients up to a minimum standard required to develop a Specialism during the next 6 months. Practical barriers to learning will be addressed, such as providing a meal before each session, onsite childcare facilities, and menstruation materials to support programme access for girls.
In addition to knowledge, our programme will also foster confidence, self-reliance, employability, and entrepreneurship so that when learning stops, earning starts (Heart).
Vocational training will be targeted to in-demand skills and services, identified in collaboration with local employers, to produce sustainable livelihoods quickly (Hands). The SkillsHub will promote clients to a network of employers seeking apprentices, sources of micro-finance, and pathways to further education to ensure sustainable livelihoods.
The client base will be 15-18-year-old youth from the lowest wealth quintile, typically those living in informal slum settlements in the Lusaka environs, and Pestalozzi World’s existing Village scholars who are selected from disadvantaged rural areas and refugee camps.
How you can help:
SkillsHub seeks to build a coalition of companies, employers and partners in Zambia that will benefit from the knowledge, soft and technical skills our children will develop. We want organisations such as these to help us shape the curriculum. If you are interested in contributing to this process please contact James Haughton (james@pestalozzi.international).
If you are motivated by providing sustainable opportunities to disadvantaged youth to derive livelihoods that will put them on a path to security and would like to join our group of funders contributing towards the costs of this project please contact Suzanne Davis (suzanne@pestalozzi.international).
We are also looking for established partners who can deliver the vocational training in Lusaka. Contact Priscilla Mpundu (priscilla@pestalozzi.international) .
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