SIX PARADIGM SHIFTS FOR TRANSFORMING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND LEADERSHIP
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1 OLD PARADIGM
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OLD PARADIGM Classroom based, theoretical or rote education.
Unpaid work and handouts offered in a way that creates a culture of dependency.
Apprenticeships or internships that do not teach diverse sets of skills.
Lack of accountability from donor model.
Entering workforce without relevant work experience ortranslatable skills.
DON’T EXPLOIT YOUTH OR CREATE
Lack of initiative in problem solving.
OLD PARADIGM Youth have limited job options by choosing a single path before understanding their own personal strengths. Health is not prioritized as much as skills training, job-matching, and financing for ensuring successful careers.
ENTITLEMENT REWARD MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS
PROMOTE PURPOSE AND HOLISTIC HEALTH
DESIGN CLASSROOMS WITHOUT WALLS
NEW PARADIGM Consider multiple pathways based on skills-alignment.
NEW PARADIGM
Create new currencies. Offer paid work experiences.
Leverage creative financing models.
Request payment for services offered.
Structure hands-on team experiences.
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4 OLD PARADIGM Inadequate preparation for job market.
Insufficient mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities.
Ignorance of full range of employment options.
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OLD PARADIGM
Age groups remain in silos and lose out on support systems needed to succeed.
Jobs selected in saturated fields.
Holistic education and self-discovery is a must-have, not nice-to-have ingredient for ensuring the resilience of youth, and the resilience of their careers.
NEW PARADIGM
OLD PARADIGM Youth served from the top, down.
REVIVE INTERGENERATIONAL TEAMWORK
REDEFINE ‘GOOD’ JOBS’
Youth are viewed in binary as either the "PROBLEM" or the "FUTURE".
DON’T JUST
SERVE YOUTH, TRUST YOUTH TO LEAD NEW PARADIGM
NEW PARADIGM
Shift from ʻjobsʼ to entrepreneurship.
Create Cross-Grade Family Units.
NEW PARADIGM
Facilitate Learning Circles.
Facilitate Experiential Learning.
Establish Decision-Making Pathways. Incentivize Mentorship Programs.
Position Adult Champions and Ensure Accessibility.
Leverage alternative industries. Elevate ʻinformal jobs as viable, respected livelihoods.
Join an innovation network dedicated to creating a different story for Africa's Youth. Partner with us: www.changemakers.com/futureforward
Create Youth Leadership Roles.