Africa’s youthful population is often described as its biggest opportunity. But without stronger links between education, skills and employment, the continent risks turning its demographic dividend into an economic burden, experts have warned.

The message emerged at the AIESEC Alumni MEA Conference in Kigali on Saturday, August 22, where discussions focused on the future of talent in a rapidly changing world.

The conference brought together AIESEC alumni, leaders and professionals from across the Middle East and Africa to discuss leadership, knowledge sharing and collaboration.

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For years, much of the conversation about Africa’s young workforce has focused on the skills gap. But speakers said the challenge has evolved.

The continent is training young people, but turning that training into practical experience, jobs and productivity remains difficult.

Vivens Uwizeyimana, founder of Umurava, said his organisation has recorded more than 1,000 jobs over the past five years but has sometimes struggled to find enough qualified candidates to fill them.

At the same time, many graduates continue to struggle to find employment.

"This is the complete mismatch which is always there,” Uwizeyimana said.

He said young people can spend four years at university without gaining practical work experience, leaving some graduates poorly prepared for the workplace despite holding degrees.

Uwizeyimana called for universities, employers and other stakeholders to build stronger talent pipelines that allow students to gain experience before graduation.

"We wish to see a young person in the university probably graduating with maybe two internships, three internships, one apprenticeship, one volunteering programme,” he said.

Beyond the skills gap

Pearl D. Gakazi, CEO of Kolaborate, said Africa should stop viewing the training gap as a problem that can be permanently eliminated.

As new technologies and industries emerge, she said, workers will always need to acquire new skills.

The bigger question, she said, should be whether training translates into productive employment.

"If you have 1,000 trained Rwandan data analysts, will you say Rwanda has benefited?” Gakazi asked.

Training alone, she said, is not enough. The real value comes when trained workers secure employment locally or internationally and contribute to the economy.

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Gakazi said traditional education systems cannot be expected to change every time labour-market demands shift. She called for a "middle part” between universities and employers, comprising specialised skilling organisations that can prepare students and graduates for specific workplace requirements through short courses, internships and apprenticeships.

Such organisations, she said, should maintain close links with employers and universities so emerging skills requirements can gradually be reflected in curricula.

Gakazi also identified what she described as a "trust gap” between African talent and global employers.

She said employers may be interested in hiring large numbers of African professionals but often lack an efficient way of identifying and organising talent.

"If Uber is coming here and saying it wants 1,000 data analysts, is there an aggregator that has already organised those 1,000?” she asked.

Africa’s pitch to the global market, she said, should not simply be that it has millions of young people.

"Our pitch as Africa should be: here is trusted talent at scale,” Gakazi said.

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She also urged employers to give young workers opportunities to learn on the job rather than expecting graduates to arrive fully prepared.

"You can’t expect me to know everything I need to know before I get the job,” she said.

Preparing for an AI-driven economy

Robert Katabarwa, a senior technologist at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, said Africa must rethink how young people are introduced to technology.

The first step, he said, is basic digital and artificial intelligence literacy, followed by advanced skills that enable young Africans to develop technologies rather than simply consume them.

"For long, Africa has been a consumer of products that are developed from elsewhere,” Katabarwa said.

"How can we shift from being consumers to now being producers of the solutions?”

He said Rwanda is introducing programming and robotics at an early stage of education, while the Rwanda Coding Academy is helping develop advanced programming skills. The Rwanda Institute of Computing is expected to provide a continuation for students pursuing computing at higher levels.

The purpose of foundational AI skills is to provide everyone with a working understanding of AI tools since the advanced skills are for a few.

The government is also seeking to expand access to innovation opportunities beyond Kigali through district-based innovation hubs (Hanga Hubs), giving young innovators access to the internet, information, mentorship and funding opportunities.

Katabarwa acknowledged that not every startup receiving support will succeed.

Some, he said, receive funding but fail to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses. The government has therefore moved towards releasing some funding in instalments based on progress, while maintaining mentorship and engagement with innovators.

Making cross-border work easier

Jennifer Echenim, co-founder of Bloccpay, said the challenge is not always finding work. For some African professionals, it is getting paid for it.

She said professionals working for international companies can lose significant amounts of money through cross-border payment charges, with some transactions costing more than 10 per cent.

Many remote workers also struggle to prove their income. Someone who has worked for international clients for years may lack consolidated documentation showing their earnings, creating difficulties when applying for loans, renting property or proving financial means for international travel.

Echenim argued that better payment infrastructure and reliable financial records could make it easier for African professionals to participate in the global digital economy.