Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa Toolkit

Digital interventions are programmes that make use of digital technology to enhance employment opportunities for people. A wide range of activities fall within the definition of digital interventions namely,

• digital skills training
• job search and matching
• digital platforms and
• improving connectivity (e.g. i-hubs)

✅Impact

The data on digital interventions programmes is limited, as most such interventions are usually combined with larger existing programmes or form a small component of it. It appears there is greater likelihood of finding a job and a rise in wages through digital interventions but more evidence is needed.

Although gender differentiated data is minimal, there is indication that women are more likely to opt for digital training programmes. There is low confidence in these findings on account of the small number of studies.

🖋Design choices

Digital skills training interventions are often conducted in classroom-based and university-based settings. Digital apps and community ICT facilities which are in used in community settings.

Mostly they are implemented as a component within a larger programme. For example, community ICT facilities such as i-hubs can be used for ICT training.

Design choices include:

• the nature of the digital component
• who will implement it
• what partners to work with
• the duration of the intervention.

📈How are digital interventions expected to work?

• Digital skills training increase employability of young people by providing them with the skills valued by employers and essential to the industry.
• Strengthening the capacities of training institutions in using digital technology improves their ability to train youth.
• Online job searching and applications process opens a wider pool of opportunities for jobseekers and candidates for employers.
• Digital platforms can also function as a medium to bring together young people, employers, government, industry experts and so on.
• Improving access to digital technology opens up the above opportunities for young people: online instructional materials, developing information and communication technology (ICT) skills, and job search and online applications.

❗Implementation issues

Qualitative data suggests that digital interventions make job matching more efficient by linking youth to jobs more in line with their interests. These were also able to generate more interest among youth due to the expanding digital and technology industry.

However a number of intervention challenges were identified.

There are technological challenges in using digital technologies especially in more remote areas and conflict settings where there may be no access to internet or even power sources to charge devices. Even where there is electricity, power outages (loadshedding) may disrupt ICT training.

Disadvantaged youth likely have no digital access and so are bypassed by digital interventions. Even when youth have mobile phones, smart phones are an exception not the norm.

Considerable time may be need to build the technical know-how of trainers and the youth intended to use digital applications.

There may also be challenges first in procuring the appropriate equipment and then in maintaining it.

🔎Implications for research

The evidence base needs to be built especially with more impact evaluations as well as process evaluation that focus closely on digital interventions and their effect on young people.

📜Evidence based findings for policy and practice

• Ownership of digital technology such as mobiles and computers is very low in sub-Saharan Africa.
• A clear plan to procure and maintain digital technology is required for digital interventions.
• Online training needs to consider difficulties such as conflict settings, load shedding and unstable internet while designing programmes.

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