Soft skills development and education outcomes : The future of Africa's education outcomes

• In Event: Educating for the 21st century: experiences from the regional education learning initiative in East Africa

Proposal

Human capital development is essential in alleviating poverty and achieving sustainable development and countries are heavily dependent on the youth for sustained and future growth. Thus, investing in the youth is very important in order to realize a youth dividend (Population Council et al. 2013, The Guardian 2015). Uganda has a huge youth population estimated at 60 percent of Uganda’s population, and over 64 percent of the country’s unemployed population is the youth (UBOS 2015). This is attributed to the lack of relevant skills required by the market in addition to the ill equipped youth graduating from the education system. This challenges the government to reform education to respond to the market needs as well as prepare them for work and life.
To equip the youth to transcend the challenges, secondary education is the most untapped resource for development across Africa and reforming secondary education at scale is a catalytic, high leverage solution to youth unemployment and consequent issues that arise in a world where 50% of children are African. Educate! has innovated a model that provides a solution that is a relevant, skills-based model of education. It leads to improved livelihoods for youth through formal employment or business ownership, increased business and job creation, improved community participation, and improved 21st century and business/employability skills.
Through the model dubbed “ Skills lab,” their intervention seeks to influence the curriculum by advocating for learner-centered teaching. The Skills lab uses the BPPP model; Build- knowledge sharing through a short lecture, stories and role plays. The topic is introduced from the known to the unknown. Practice-the facilitator divides the students into smaller groups to tackle sub-topics that contribute to the major topic (for instance on drug abuse: causes, effects and prevention). Present-group work is presented by the students, both learners and teachers are allowed to give feedback on the presentations. Portfolio assessment-the facilitator gives an assignment for students to reflect on the topic.
The program monitors four target outcomes to determine measurable impact of the model. These include improved livelihoods, increased business ownership and employment, increased community participation and improved workforce readiness. Educate! believes that these four can be achieved through skilling of the youth in the formal education system, so that when they are done with school, they are ready for the world-through either having the skills to start Small and Medium business Enterprises, or have the soft/life skills to get and grow in the world of work.

Author

• MODERN KAREMA MUSIIMENTA, Educate! Uganda