The highest unemployment rate in Africa, particularly among young graduates is both alarming and concerning. Unemployment is a major problem in several African countries and mostly acute among the growing graduate population. Many university graduates in Africa have struggled to find meaningful employment upon completing their studies, which have been attributed to lack of relevant skill sets.

Despite having completed formal education, many young graduates lack the practical skills that are necessary to secure employment. This deficit can be traced back to the continent’s education system, which often emphasizes rote learning and theoretical knowledge rather than real-world applications. The education system is not well-equipped to prepare its graduates for the workforce. The non-alignment between the skills of graduates and the needs of employers resulted in many graduates being poorly prepared for the job market, thus leading to a high rate of unemployment.

The mismatch between the skills needed by employers and those possessed by graduates and the failure of many universities and colleagues to offer internships or practical training programs, leave graduates unprepared for the job market. The lack of job search skills, entrepreneurial and employability skills and limited social networks challenge many graduates to navigate the job market.

To address these issues, the Academy has introduced programs aimed at complementing the efforts of the policymakers to improve the quality and relevance of higher education programs, strengthen the connections between education and skills needs of employers, improve the job search skills and the development of social networks among graduates.