Youth futures for systemic justice: Co-creating skills anticipation praxis with youth innovators in East and Southern Africa (Phase 2)

 

Of Africa’s nearly 420 million youth aged 15-35, one-third are unemployed, discouraged and looking to an uncertain future. This calls for a re-imagining of the economy, education/skills development, health, agriculture/food production, politics and governance ecosystems by youth, changemakers and decision-makers. Phase 2 of the research project strategically advances youth skills development, gender mainstreaming and work readiness in East and Southern Africa. The focus is on systemic innovations within prioritized skills needs and youth priorities identified in Phase 1, contributing to trans-regional cross-cutting emerging themes.

In Phase 2, youth innovators lead efforts to strengthen skills needs anticipation through foresight methodologies and co-creating skills anticipation praxis (practice) frameworks. These frameworks, emphasizing economic wellbeing, ecological resilience and holistic skills development, empower youth innovators to foster significant, long-term transformations. While specific-country skills planning and capacity building remain integral, Phase 2 shifts the focus to amplify the impact of targeted youth seed initiatives across East and Southern Africa through scaling up, out and deep.

Ultimately, the research intends to ignite hope through cultivating robust capacities for strategic foresight interventions by collaboratively co-creating youth skills anticipation praxis frameworks with the involvement of youth, government decision-makers, civil society, industry associations, the private sector and the wider community. These frameworks will serve as powerful modes of change agency that drive strategic interventions and policy innovation, fostering a future where skills anticipation is a shared endeavour, empowering youth and steering communities towards progress and prosperity.