Introduction
The current demographic statistics of Africa has made the continent a focal point for discussions on youth development and demographic transitions. Not only does the region house the highest number of young people aged between 15 -29, it is also projected to double in 2050. This means that if the continent is to reap the benefit of the youth bulge and the prospect of a very young working population, there is need to prepare, equip and nurture them to adequately tackle the challenges of the future.
The world development report of 2007 reveals that young people must be adequately prepared to lead productive adult lives. They must be given access to quality education capable of helping them transition to productive adult life where social mobility is a possibility while living healthy lifestyles and actively engaging their agency as citizens towards purposeful advocacy.
One of such efforts towards helping young people transition to better and productive adulthood birthed the MDG’s and the Universal Basic Education. Although the 2015 target was not achieved in its entirety, there was a significant improvement in the number of children in primary schools. The implication is that more children were churned out of primary schools for post-primary education although the quality of primary education has been called to question.
Since learning is cumulative, investments in learning during childhood and adolescence have larger returns than later investments because they increase the productivity of those later investments. A deliberate attempt must be made to invest in the quality of education young people are exposed to as opposed to measuring quantity as impact outcomes.
The Big Question – Should Secondary School Students Exit to the Labour Market?
Learning occurs for many people at their entry into the world of work, therefore initial experiences can have long-lasting effects. This means that young people find it easy to enter the world of work to the degree of the technical expertise and employability skills that they possess. The implication of which is that the lesser level of education, the more difficult it is for them to find jobs.
Findings from LEAP Africa’s work in equipping secondary school students with leadership and life skills reveal that most students exit the system directly into the workforce. Although further education is a desirable pathway for transition, the lived realities and social contexts of these students often force them into the labour market earlier than they are prepared for. The implication of which is an emerging young workforce that is often ill-prepared to take on available jobs. If difficulties in entering the labour market persist, poor youth outcomes such as child labour, school dropout rates, and joblessness are a few consequences that will emerge.
Given this reality, emerging questions remain: how can secondary school students be adequately prepared to enter the workforce? What skills do they need to fit into entry-level roles as they attempt to make ends meet for themselves? Should exit from secondary school be considered a valid pathway to progress?
Making Entry to Work Seamless for Secondary School Students
Secondary school education is pivotal to the effective transitioning of young people. Through this institution, young people learn more advanced and technical knowledge-based skills that prepare them for various career pathways. Given the African reality, secondary school students must be adequately equipped with skills and competencies that will enable them to exit effectively. This means an approach to youth development that is strength-based, entrenches the use of psychology to foster educational engagement and achievement. Efforts are directed not just on students’ academic development but also on their vocational, social, and emotional development.
This approach, positive youth development is in sync with LEAP Africa’s efforts towards strengthening secondary school education by providing support through leadership and life skills training as well as exposure of students to their first internship experience to help them familiarize themselves with the realities of the workplace. The pieces of training help to shape student’s mindset, raise their aspirations to alternative pathways to progress and awaken them to the realization to become employers of labour. There is, therefore, an urgency for an approach to secondary education that prioritizes learning for work and life. This will mean a conscious attempt that transcends the traditional approach of focus on academic outcomes only.
Making an entry into the labour market seamless for secondary school students requires multiple stakeholder involvement to achieve. Public-private sector partnerships and collaboration are highly encouraged as it will ensure that solutions are scalable. Other considerations include curriculum review, policy change (including labour laws), advocacy action by social sector organizations as well as teacher training and motivation.
With these efforts in place, secondary school students who enter the labour market under their social reality or choice are well equipped to negotiate better and comfortably exchange their skills with a decent wage.
