Professor Ramos Emmanuel Mabugu, Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences examines one of Africa’s most pressing challenges – youth unemployment – in his latest article, Training young people for jobs: insights from 9 African countries on what’s missing. The article explores why many programmes designed to improve youth employment outcomes continue to fall short.
Drawing on evidence from nine African countries, Professor Mabugu finds that many youth training initiatives are underfunded, weakly targeted, and insufficiently aligned with labour market needs. He argues that for these programmes to deliver meaningful employment outcomes, they must be linked to real labour market demand, supported by sustainable funding, implemented by capable institutions, and protected from political interference.
The article has been featured as the top story in The Conversation‘s Africa Edition, underscoring the significance of its findings for policymakers, practitioners, and institutions working to address youth unemployment across the continent.
To read the article, click here: https://theconversation.com/training-young-people-for-jobs-insights-from-9-african-countries-on-whats-missing-287075
Access the open-access book: Youth Employment Programmes in Africa | Ramos E. Mabugu, Lucas Ronconi
This story was originally published by The Conversation on 13 July 2026, co-authored by Professor Ramos Emmanuel Mabugu, Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.
