Improving pathways for girls and disadvantaged youth through secondary education and into work: Evidence and reflections from practice

Given the changing nature of work and recent shocks to environmental, health, and economic systems, secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa must prepare youth to be adaptive and resilient as they transition into challenging labour markets. Access to opportunities to develop relevant skills and knowledge through secondary education is critical to ensure girls and other marginalised young people can secure work or create their own entrepreneurial ventures to improve their livelihoods. Yet many girls and marginalised youth either drop out of school or progress through the education system without developing the skills needed to effectively transition into labour markets. This article aims to synthesise insights from Mastercard Foundation’s portfolio of programming in secondary education and situate these findings in the broader literature on equitable secondary education and preparing youth for the transition to work in sub-Saharan Africa. Three key insights are explored: the importance of targeted financing to expand access, flexible approaches to improve completion, and entrepreneurship programming to develop relevant skills—each critical for promoting secondary education that prepares young women and men for work.

Suggested citation

Baxter, M., Novy, Marx, M. and D’Angelo, S. (2022) ‘Improving pathways for girls and disadvantaged youth through secondary education and into work: Evidence and reflections from practice’. Development Policy Review, p.e12651. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dpr.12651)

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Economic empowerment Education Employment and work Lifeskills Voice and agency

Improving pathways for girls and disadvantaged youth through secondary education and into work: Evidence and reflections from practice

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