“I believe in educating and empowering young people everywhere. We, becoming effective and productive members of the society is essential for sustainable growth and development.” – Madelle Kangha
Recent trends show that by 2030, over half of the world’s young people – 825 million – will lack the basic skills needed for employment. It is estimated that five years from now, over one-third of skills (35%) that are considered important in today’s workforce will have changed.
A young person spends on average about 18 years of their lives in formal education. Yet a young person still may lack the necessary employable skills even after completing primary, secondary and/or tertiary education. How is it possible?
Globally, there is a mismatch between education systems and the skills required for the 21st Century. As a result, youth leaves school without learning the skills needed to lead successful and productive lives.
For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa where made the greatest progress in primary school enrollment among all developing regions in 2012, the literacy rate is still below 50% in several countries in the region.
In fact, according to the World Bank’s report on Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa, evidence shows that poor learning outcomes through years of low-quality education produce youth who are barely literate and unable to contribute to sustainable development.
So what is the solution?
Africa has the youngest population in the world. By 2055, the continent’s youth population aged 15-24, is expected to more than double.
My vision is for all young people to achieve recognized and measurable learning outcomes with quality education that equips them with the relevant knowledge and skills to lead safe, healthy and productive lives, to meet the demands of the job market, and to foster global citizenship.
It is therefore crucial that we substantially improve the quality of schooling across the continent. It can result in actual learning and skills acquisition for the growing number of youths in Africa who will enter the labor force in the next 10 years.
This is why I started Jumpstart Academy Africa to provide workforce readiness, soft skills, entrepreneurship and technical skills training to young people. Through our programs, we are providing skills development and school-to-work transitions for young people across Cameroon and Togo.
As a Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals, my vision is for all young people to achieve recognized and measurable learning outcomes with quality formal, non-formal and vocational education and training that equips them with the relevant knowledge and skills to lead safe, healthy and productive lives, to meet the demands of the job market and to foster global citizenship.
Madelle Kangha is the Founder and President of JumpStart Academy Africa, a for impact social venture which seeks to transform Africa by fixing a broken education system.