A looming global employment challenge could leave millions of young people without meaningful work unless urgent steps are taken to align education with labour market demands, the World Bank Group has cautioned.
Speaking at the Vice Chancellor’s Occasional Lecture Series at the University of Ghana, the Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group, Mr Paschal Donohoe, highlighted the growing disconnect between education systems and the rapidly evolving world of work.
He warned that about 1.2 billion young people are expected to enter labour markets in developing countries over the next decade, raising concerns about a widening jobs gap as many may lack the skills required by employers.
According to him, the challenge is global in nature, driven by structural weaknesses in education systems that are failing to keep pace with technological change and shifting economic demands.
Mr Donohoe pointed out that learning outcomes remain a major concern, noting that a significant proportion of children in low- and middle-income countries struggle with basic literacy, while billions of adults lack foundational education.
“These are not just statistics but real lives affected by a growing mismatch between education and the needs of modern economies,” he said.
Focusing on Africa, he described the continent’s growing youth population as both an opportunity and a challenge, explaining that while millions of young people enter the workforce each year, job creation has not kept pace.
He said Africa generates only about three million formal jobs annually, compared to the 10 to 12 million young people joining the labour force each year.
Mr Donohoe added that the nature of work itself is changing rapidly due to advances in artificial intelligence, automation and the global transition to greener economies, making it essential for workers to continuously upgrade their skills.
He emphasised that the World Bank Group is prioritising investments in education, skills development and job creation, with a focus on improving foundational learning, strengthening links between higher education and industry, and supporting entrepreneurship.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, also underscored the importance of stronger collaboration between academia and industry to address the skills gap.
She noted that educational institutions alone could not fully resolve the challenge and stressed the need for partnerships that would better prepare students for the demands of the modern labour market.
The discussions highlighted the urgent need for coordinated efforts to equip young people with relevant skills and create sustainable employment opportunities in an increasingly complex global economy.
