Challenges and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Africa

1 March 2017. Den Haag. the Netherlands. The aim of foodFIRST is to put the food and agriculture issue at the heart of the political debate. There is a need to investing in young people to acquire market relevant skills and develop their business and leadership abilities for meaningful employment. During this session foodFIRST in cooperation with SNV | See also SNV's Yes Project; Oxfam Novib's Work in Progress; Edukans's 7 steps; explored four key issues, focusing on how these apply to opportunities for young people in the agro-business.

1. Market opportunities: what are emerging best practices and approaches to ensure youth can tap into the opportunities in the labour market and achieve scale. These opportunities provide the basis as well as the end-perspective and need to a) inform basic skills development (“push”); b) provide perspectives for skilled youth to be linked with market opportunities (“match”); and c) provide scope for (self) employment and enterprise development (“pull”).
2. Partnerships: what is the role of partnerships with private sector companies, training institutes and government authorities and what are the critical success factors to ensure these partnerships support youth employment and entrepreneurship and create an enabling environment.
3. Young women: what barriers do young women face for employment and entrepreneurship and how can equal access to development and employment opportunities be ensured.
4. Financial services: how can financial reliability, literacy and investment capacity of youth be developed in order for them to access financial services. Is there scope for special youth financial market and products?

Programme

• Introduction by Rik Overmars (SNV)
• SNV – Eelco Baan
• Oxfam Novib – Mirjam Horstmeier
• CTA – Sabdiyo Dido Bashuna
• Edukans – Hilde van der Vegt