Future of Work

With over 40% of its working age population between the ages of 15 and 24, Africa is the youngest continent in the world. There are almost 200 million youths in Africa and the number is set to double by 2045. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs study categorically states that in a mere 5 years from now 35% of skills considered important in today’s workforce will have changed.

This stark reality can only mean that the need for change and alignment has never been more prevalent. Commonly known as the 4th Industrial Revolution, this new era of progressive transformation will pose its challenges, and require us to ask some tough questions – our survival literally depends on it. How can Tanzania align itself to cope with the inverted pyramid – a strong youth-led society that will inevitably be driven by the search for sustainable livelihoods and question the very nature of ‘success’ as we define it today.

A recent survey by #Shujaaz360 cited ‘being an entrepreneur’ as the most popular youth-aspiration in Tanzania. Employability is no longer a sustainable option; the next generation needs to be armed with the skills to survive and thrive in today’s world. Four key factors need to be addressed to make sense of the challenges facing the next generation:

Opportunity – The enabling environment for young people to self-actualize, grow and be self-determined is questionable. Sourcing capital investment poses a challenge and accessing adequate information to make informed business decisions can be problematic. In some instances where information is available online youth may be kept at bay due to the expense of browsing the net. Much needs to be done to level the playing field and create more opportunities for our youth.

Skills & Education – Are Tanzanian youth armed with adequate skills and education to survive today’s world? Traditionally, our focus has been on churning our youth through the education system with the goal of exiting tertiary institutions to find employment. #Shujaaz360 research shows that there are more school-leavers in employment than graduates – a testament to an era where a university degree is no longer a prerequisite to build a sustainable livelihood, or dare I say the epitome of success anymore. Success comes in varying forms, and surviving the 4th Industrial Revolution will require more focus on vocational and technical skills for self-determination.

Attitude – Our watoto wa siku hizi or youth-of-today stereotyping is detrimental to their development. Youth often lack the motivation and drive to succeed in this ever-changing world based on preconceived notions of who they have become. We need to empower them to lead, and shine a light on youth success stories for national development.

Culture – Taking gender bias into consideration is critical – unleashing the full potential of Tanzania’s girls will help us reach critical mass far sooner; and this is a necessity if we are to survive. Leadership on the continent needs to be far more open-minded, the ‘old guard’ have lots to teach us, but execution inevitably needs to be driven by the youth.

It is the joint responsibility of business leaders, educators and Government to be proactive in up-skilling and retraining young people so that we not only survive but thrive during these changing times – the 4th Industrial Revolution. 

Twitter: @MirandaNaiman

[Printed in The Citizen, Tuesday 1st May 2018]

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