OLD PARADIGM Unpaid work and handouts offered in a way that creates a culture of dependency. Lack of accountability from donor model. Lack of initiative in problem solving.
DON’T EXPLOIT YOUTH OR CREATE
ENTITLEMENT REWARD MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS
NEW PARADIGM Create new currencies. Offer paid work experiences. Request payment for services offered.
INNOVATIONS FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA
OLD PARADIGM Classroom based, theoretical or rote education. Apprenticeships or internships that do not teach diverse sets of skills. Entering workforce without relevant work experience ortranslatable skills.
DESIGN CLASSROOMS WITHOUT WALLS NEW PARADIGM Leverage creative financing models. Structure hands-on team experiences.
INNOVATIONS FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA
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.
PROMOTE PURPOSE AND HOLISTIC HEALTH DESIGN CLASSROOMS BEYOND WALLS
NEW PARADIGM Consider multiple pathways based on skills-alignment. 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.
INNOVATIONS FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA
OLD PARADIGM Jobs selected in saturated fields. Inadequate preparation for job market. Ignorance of full range of employment options.
REDEFINE ‘GOOD’ JOBS’
NEW PARADIGM Shift from ʻjobsʼ to entrepreneurship. Leverage alternative industries. Elevate ʻinformal jobsʼ as viable, respected livelihoods.
INNOVATIONS FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA
OLD PARADIGM Age groups remain in silos and lose out on support systems needed to succeed. Insufficient mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities.
REVIVE INTERGENERATIONAL TEAMWORK Revive INTERGENERATIONAL Teamwork
NEW PARADIGM Create Cross-Grade Family Units. Facilitate Learning Circles. Establish Decision-Making Pathways. Incentivize Mentorship Programs. INNOVATIONS FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA
OLD PARADIGM Youth served from the top, down. Youth are viewed in binary as either the "PROBLEM" or the "FUTURE"
DON’T JUST
SERVE YOUTH, TRUST YOUTH TO LEAD NEW PARADIGM Facilitate Experiential Learning. Position Adult Champions and Ensure Accessibility. Create Youth Leadership Roles.
INNOVATIONS FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA