Enhancing economic prospects for youth on the margins

Genesis, in partnership with Generation Unlimited (GenU) and 10 UNICEF country offices, is conducting a foundational landscape analysis across Africa and the Middle East that informs the development of the investment agenda in each country and addresses challenges confronting the youth.

Founded in 2018, GenU aims to transform education, employment and entrepreneurial outcomes for young people around the world at a global and local level. It does this by joining together partners from business and governments with the reach and network of the United Nations.

The intervention takes place in a context where young people face many economic, social and cultural challenges. The types of skills needed in the labour market are changing. Technological advancements are making many jobs vulnerable to automation, a large portion of job creation is driven by entrepreneurs and small businesses, while education systems are outdated and fragmented.

These challenges are more acute for youth in disadvantaged communities and those who lack opportunities because of their gender, race, sexuality, disability or ethnic background.

Of today’s 1.8 billion youth, 200 million secondary-school-aged young people are not in school and 267 million aged 15 to 24 are not in employment, education or training. Meanwhile, over three-quarters of the 429 million employed youth have jobs in the informal sector. If current trends continue in low-income countries, only 8% of young people will achieve a minimum level of secondary skills compared with 70% in high-income countries.