The rise of youth unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) cannot entirely be attributed to a lack of opportunities in the formal labour market.

Part of the problem can potentially be explained by a widening gap between the supply of skills provided by youth and the demand for skills from employers. The survey aims to dive into both youth and employers' perspectives of the labour market challenges to:

• Deepen our insights on the challenges in the job market for both youth and employers, and
• Use these insights to influence the private sector and public policy in addressing these challenges

Key findings

Oliver Wyman, in collaboration with JA Africa and INJAZ Al-Arab, successfully surveyed youth and employers following a four-step approach. More than 350 employers and 2000 youth from across SSA and MENA participated in the survey.

Junior Achievement Africa prepares youth for the future of jobs by bridging the gap between school and the world of work. Through the delivery of financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship training and in collaboration with schools, technical/ vocational centers and other partners, JA Africa works in 13 countries reaching 250,000 youth each year. Learn more at www.ja-africa.org.

INJAZ Al Arab operates in 13 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, INJAZ Al-Arab is the only nonprofit organization in the region that harnesses the mentorship of business leaders to help inspire a culture of entrepreneurship and business innovation among Arab youth. Partnering with leading companies in the private sector, INJAZ Al-Arab equips Arab youth to drive the economies of the Arab World forward through training designed to inspire them to develop ambition, entrepreneurship and professional skills. Named one of the top 100 NGOs in the world by NGO Advisor for six consecutive years INJAZ Al-Arab has influenced the lives of over 3.7 million students since its inception in 2004. INJAZ Al-Arab is a member of Junior Achievement; the world’s largest and fastest-growing youth business organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Learn more at www.injazalarab.org.

Contributors

Sena Goka, Director of Grants & Programs, Junior Achievement Africa, Ghana
Akosua Essuman, Programs Officer & Board Liaison, Junior Achievement Africa, Ghana
Shahd Haswa, Regional Entrepreneurship & Innovation Lead, INJAZ Al-Arab, Jordan