By Kingsley Jassi:
About 270 000 young Malawians enter the job market in the country every year, only to meet a closed market that hardly opens up for new recruits.
A policy note drawn by the United Nations, the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) observes that Malawi’s economy is not generating enough high-quality jobs to absorb the influx of new workers, only creating 30,000 people for formal jobs.
It further says there is a misalignment between the education system and the job market, leaving young people lacking the required skills.
- Advertisement -
“Because education and training systems are not well aligned with labour market demand, many young people graduate with diplomas but lack the skills employers need,” the policy note reads.
- Advertisement -
Therefore, the authorities are urged to strengthen the connection between education, skills development and employment in order to accelerate job creation.
“Implementing a targeted set of low-cost, high-impact actions developed in collaboration with employers can help young people transition into productive self-employment and wage employment,’ it reads.
The note further suggests development and expansion of short modular programmes that combine life skills, entrepreneurship, digital literacy and financial literacy with curricula tailored to local value chains.
The policy note picks some promises in the Democratic Progressive Party Manifesto that have been identified as relevant in addressing the job market challenge, citing linkages between the education system and job market for the development of needed skills.
- Advertisement -
The perspective is in line with recent Afrobarometer research findings which say the youth most commonly report a lack of adequate training or preparation as the top barrier to employment.
“This concern is shared across all age groups, highlighting a widespread perception that young people are not sufficiently equipped for the job market,” the report reads.
Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha recently said the National Economic Recovery Plan being developed would be comprehensive to cover all aspects of the economy, including the job market when implemented.
He said the implementation approach would ensure a plan that would set timelines in achieving specific goals while pressing responsibilities on specific duty bearers including a person responsible for implementation.
