Youth-Led Research Highlights Key Challenges Young People Face While Accessing Opportunities In The Hospitality And Tourism Sector

KIGALI, Rwanda, September 13th, 2018 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- With over one billion young people set to enter the global labour market over the next decade, many policy makers and development practitioners see hospitality and tourism as a key growth sector in Africa. However, perceptions regarding the sector need to shift if African countries hope to unlock its full economic potential, according to a new youth-led research report released today by Restless Development and the Mastercard Foundation Youth Think Tank (YTT). The report, Harnessing the Potential of Hospitality and Tourism for Young People’s Employment, calls on sector stakeholders to address the gaps that challenge young people’s ability to secure and retain opportunities in the sector. 

Key Learning from the Hospitality and Tourism Research

• Some young people have negative perceptions about the hospitality and tourism sector and are unable to see its potential for income generation and career growth. Those who are working in the sector do so for a variety of reasons, including the chance to earn a decent income, enjoy a job that is interesting, and contribute to national goals. 
• Young people struggle to find opportunities to gain practical experience prior to entering the job market. While employers prefer candidates with formal training, this is often complemented with on-the-job training to familiarize the employee with the companies’ systems and processes. 
• Employers and employees agree that soft skills are key to hiring, retention, and promotion. Three soft skills employers want young employees to possess are work ethic, positive attitude, and interpersonal skills. 
• Employers in the sector struggle to retain young employees, particularly those from urban areas and young women for reasons unique to each group. Young women also may have family and communal responsibilities that may make it difficult for them to retain full-time employment. 
• Governments must prioritize youth engagement and sector development by providing resources that help youth shape the agenda and sector policy. 
• The report makes recommendations on how to improve the sector and its image for young people. However, there is no one actor who can solve these challenges independently. To make these improvements, better collaboration is required among sector stakeholders-government, private sector employers, training institutions, young people, donors, and NGOs with an interest in the sector. 

(Left) Peace Aradukunda, 23, YTT from Rwanda