Dual Apprenticeship: A system that can solve youth unemployment

By Dr Eliaza Mkuna

Every year, universities and colleges across the country graduate hundreds of students, crowned with academic qualifications and high hopes of finding jobs that match their skills.

Yet the reality is harsh: many find themselves stuck behind a barrier called “unemployment.”

They are accused of lacking experience, yet no one allows them to gain it. Is this the graduates’ fault, or a flaw in our education system?

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), youth unemployment among those aged 15–24 in Africa remains high.

In 2024, 8.9 percent of young people in Sub-Saharan Africa were unemployed, while in some North African countries, the rate exceeded 30 percent.

There is, however, a promising solution: the Dual Apprenticeship model. This goes beyond traditional vocational training; it combines classroom learning with real workplace experience.

As the ILO notes, it equips young people with skills that meet actual market demands by linking theory to practice.

Bridging the skills gap

Employers often complain that graduates, even those with first-class degrees, cannot solve real business problems.

Through apprenticeship, students learn how a company operates, use real machinery and technology, and understand workplace culture before graduation.

By the time they finish, they are ready to contribute immediately.

Benefits for employers

Instead of waiting for workers with five years’ experience, often hard to find, companies can nurture talent in-house.

They invest in young people, and upon completing training, retention is easier since the workers already understand company operations.

This significantly reduces recruitment and induction costs.

Benefits for young people

Apprentices gain practical skills, confidence, and independence. In some countries, they even receive allowances while training.

Some programmes offer formal contracts and wages, enabling young people to support themselves and reduce reliance on their families.

For too long, society has held the misconception that success comes only through a university followed by an office job.

But the world is changing. Countries such as Germany and Switzerland have successfully used this system to reduce youth unemployment.

It is not a miracle; it is planning and determination.

Our governments, universities, and the private sector must work together to make this system the backbone of employment.

It is time to break the wall separating education from work. Let us not wait for young people to lose hope and turn to illegal ways of earning a living.

Education should be a pillar of development, not a certificate of despair.