What does it mean to equip Africa's youth to compete?

Africa's population is the youngest in the world with over 60% under the age of 25. The technology-centered Fourth Industrial Revolution is here and the pandemic has accelerated the role that it plays in our lives. As part of our 2021 Virtual Series this summer, we explored several topics related to supporting young people. In our segment on the “Future of Work,” we talked with Seth Mulli, Executive Director of the Youth Bridge Trust (YBT) in South Africa.

Seth shared the multi-faceted approach that YBT is taking to engage and equip young people with the skills needed in this rapidly changing environment. The organization has positioned itself to partner with different types of public and private sector organizations ranging from governments to foundations to community organizations. He discussed how YBT has taken advantage of the digital space to connect organizations across the continent working on a range of youth development issues. YBT is also an information and data source about youth employment in Africa which is shared through its knowledge hub.

Seth underscored expanding our vision and moving away from training young people for skills that limit their reach. He also talked about the misconceptions about young people and their capacity. Hearing about YBT's approach was exciting and informative. Funders active in the youth development space in Africa should explore their website.

Listen to our conversation with Seth as part of our "Conversations With" series.