Youth recommendations:
Youths experience barriers in skills development, including lack of resources, lack of knowledge about careers and skills needed, and lack of tools and training.
- Some teachers are not digitally literate. There are underfunded schools & disparities in education. Schools are not able to keep up with the rate of change of technology.
- Students do not always know what they want to do with their careers
- Impracticality; acquiring knowledge without figuring out how it should be implemented
- Poor access to the right tools needed to develop these skills
- Inability to afford basic tools like computer, electricity and Internet connection, which are relevant to personal development for the modern workplace
- Some youth do not have access to computers. Some youth have access to computers but do not know how to use them
Youths encourage the business community to provide resources, opportunities, and flexible funds to support skill development.
- Provide flexible funds to fill the gap where government cannot
- Provide internships that offer a living wage
- Offer career pipelines to youth; work with workforce development programs to build a pipeline
- Coach and mentor youth
- Provide feedback to youth on resumes
Youths report a lack of knowledge, resources, and opportunities as key barriers to youth employment.
- Lack of knowledge of the process
- Lack of role models to provide guidance around job searching and interviews
- Lack of internships/Internships that are unpaid or do not pay a living wage; those without resources miss opportunities because they cannot afford it
- Shortage of jobs, particularly creative or innovative jobs. Job competition.
- Lack of basic tools and amenities like computers, Internet connection, constant electricity needed to develop their skills and explore the modern world of work
- Decreasing vacancies for on-the-job training as most employers seek those with the right skills coming in
- Inadequate and unproductive engagement of young people
Youths recommend that the business community engage them in their workforce development initiatives.
- Invest in skills development in coordinated, systemic, and targeted ways
- Collect data to understand what is working
- Ask for and implement young employees’ opinions to the growth of the work place
- Understand the specific skills needed for improvement before being trained
- Periodical performance review of youths, and their job roles
- Bringing youths on board as champions for skills and workforce development advocacy
Source: Deloitte and the Global Business Coalition for Education's report on Preparing tomorrow’s workforce for the Fourth Industrial Revolution For business: A framework for action