By Lizelle Strydom, Managing Director, CareerBox Africa

Africa has many challenges facing it on the road to building sustainable, thriving, digital economies across the continent. The reality is that although there is admirable work being done by many African governments to drive economic growth and employment, the need is great, and scope of the task is enormous.  

Against this background, it is imperative that partnerships between government, companies, non-profit organisations, and local communities, are developed for the long-term benefit of all involved. These partnerships create job opportunities for underserved communities, helping to reduce poverty and improve living standards.  

Imagining a better world

The benefits of impact sourcing have been widely discussed. Impact hiring is an effective way for companies to show their commitment to positively influencing employment in their communities, and even far beyond their own communities. Socially responsible outsourcing strategies can make an economic impact in disadvantaged sectors of the population, particularly in emerging markets such as Africa that have untapped talent pools. Impact sourcing can also play an important role in promoting diversity and closing the gender gap in the workplace.  

Partnerships between impact sourcing organisations and BPO employers have wide-reaching impacts, with tremendous benefits to communities. For many people recruited through impact hiring practices, an entry-level BPO position is likely to be their first formal job opportunity and has a massive impact on their income and their entire family’s wellbeing. The BPO industry not only offers an entry into employment, but is also a dynamic growth sector where talented youth can build a career.  

However, to really make a meaningful and lasting impact, these partnerships must stretch beyond the obvious benefits of impact sourcing. Companies and organisations must examine how a more fundamental and deep-rooted engagement can reap rewards for communities and companies alike.  

Closing the digital skills gap with early intervention

What we’ve experienced at CareerBox Africa is that many school leavers exit the secondary education system lacking the basic digital skills that will help them land an entry-level position in the workforce. This is in large part because of the dearth of opportunities to acquire these skills in their schools or homes. Workplace readiness training is an important step in the impact sourcing process, but we need to think more broadly about how to build these skills before school leavers start their journey to enter the employment market. 

Addressing digital skills development in secondary education then becomes a crucial step towards closing the digital skills gap and lowering unemployment rates. While our governments are working hard to extend quality education for all, the task ahead of them is massive, and sometimes progress is slower than we would like. This is where private-public partnerships can be so powerful.  

Bold vision and action are needed

There is a solution – corporate employers can harness their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to embed digital skilling programmes in schools in their communities, run career days to shine a light on the opportunities that our youth have when they have digital skills, and assist schools with the equipment needed for access to digital learning, such as computer labs. These investments open the door to building a new generation of youth with basic digital literacy skills that will aid them as they depart secondary school and seek the chance to become employed.  

Digital skills are a critical facility, but the need is broader. Companies must also look at how they can impact the learning environment holistically. Supporting initiatives such as providing sanitary supplies to schoolgirls can have a profound impact, as period poverty is a known barrier to girls attending school consistently.

There is ample opportunity for companies to find CSR activities that meet their own identified goals for their programmes while creating positive change in their communities.  

A virtuous circle

This transfer of skills, resources and knowledge benefits everyone. Corporate employers enhance their CSR  initiatives, our youth gain invaluable digital skills, and those same employers reap the benefits when these youth are placed into employment by their impact sourcing partners. The added advantage is that these actions contribute to sustainable development goals, specifically SDG 4, that of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.  

The power of partnerships in impact sourcing cannot be overstated. By fostering collaborations between government, companies, NGOs, and communities, we can create sustainable pathways to employment and economic growth. As we look to the future, let us commit to these partnerships with renewed vigour, ensuring that our efforts not only close the digital skills gap but also uplift entire communities.

Together, we can build a more inclusive and prosperous world, one where every individual has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to the collective success.