The news headlines made for grim reading this week, highlighting a climb in the unemployment rate to a concerning 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025. The numbers tell a startling story. The youth labour market not only reflects age-based disparities but also entrenched gender inequalities. Women continue to face greater barriers to employment, particularly among the youth. In Q1 of 2025, the NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) rate for young people aged 15–24 stood at 37,1%, with young women slightly more affected than young men. However, the disparity widens in the broader 15–34 age group, where the NEET rate was recorded at 45,1%.
There are many barriers to entry into meaningful routes into employment for matriculants and youth without further education. Even some graduates may find it harder than anticipated to secure employment. The lack of opportunity, combined with a lack of resources to either study further or find an entry-level job, impedes our youth from work that offers genuine opportunities for advancement. A fluctuating global economy only compounds the factors stacked against our African youth.
However, at CareerBox Africa we take a more positive view that for our motivated and resourceful youth, impact sourcing and workplace readiness training can open the door to sustainable employment and change the employment statistics in the short and long term.
Impact sourcing provides a gateway into employment
One of the great advantages of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is that this is a sector where individuals with varied educational backgrounds and qualifications all have an opportunity to enter the workforce. Youth with minimal to no experience or tertiary training can succeed and thrive in an industry where the right attitude, good communication skills and an aptitude for working with people are highly valued.
Impact sourcing is a powerful tool to provide work opportunities for highly driven skilled young people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the industry offers better gender parity than many others. In South Africa, for example, industry body BPESA notes that female contact centre agents and knowledge workers make up about two thirds of the BPO sector.
Work readiness training is an important part of impact sourcing, as it bridges the digital divide by providing digital, technical and soft skills development for NEET youth. Uplifting these youth through demand-led training is just one way of delivering long-term solutions to the continent’s youth unemployment crisis. And once they have embarked on a career in the BPO industry, adding to their skills set with accredited training will take them further and higher than that starting point.
Accredited training helps build careers
On-the-job training and a mindset of continuous learning help our youth to grow and build their careers. Here, accredited training is an invaluable asset. If offers peace of mind to both students and employers alike that the training they are undertaking provides them with comprehensive, well-planned and comprehensive training that ties into the general requirements of most certification boards. Accreditation also provides employers with an easy way to determine if an employee or job candidate has a qualification that has equipped them with the knowledge and skills to do a particular job – this is a huge advantage in the competitive job market.
The benefits of completing accredited training programmes are manifold. Employers are guaranteed that accredited programmes and institutions are competent to provide training to an industry standard and calibre, while the learner can rest assured that future employers will recognise the value of their certification.
Developing industry-specific skills
As an impact sourcing specialist working in the BPO sector, the CareerBox Academy offers NQF level training in Contact Centre Support, Contact Centre Operations, Business Administration Services, and Contact Centre Management, among others, to develop further skills in the BPO industry. To date we have trained more than 5,000 learners. The benefits show in the numbers – 80,7% of CareerBox entrants have been promoted since being employed.
For those talented and determined young people who want to pursue a career in the BPO industry, not just as a contact centre agent, but as a team leader, a floor manager, or even a director, accredited training is an important part of the career journey. Work readiness training is a crucial first step, and for anyone with aspirations for career advancement that leads to a brighter, more secure future, accredited training will always be a priority.
Lizelle Strydom is the Managing Director of CareerBox Africa, an impact sourcing organisation which identifies and recruits talented, underprivileged youth and women, equipping them with high-demand digital skills before placing them with corporate partners. Connect with Lizelle on LinkedIn or visit https://www.careerbox.co.za/.