The Role of Civic Service in Enhancing Youth Employability: Reflections on National Youth Service Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Since the early 1960s, more than 20 national youth service programmes have been established in sub-Saharan African countries, many of which are currently active. Youth civic service in the region has evolved from the strong political underpinnings of the post-liberation period of the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, to the more recent interest in using national youth service programmes to engage rapidly growing youth populations in the face of high levels of unemployment. This chapter explores the role of civic service in the twenty-first-century African context and considers the evolution of national youth service in the region. It examines the role that civic service in this form can play in increasing the capability of young people in sub-Saharan Africa to access employment, and enhancing their prospects of successful self‐employment, and considers some of the challenges in implementation.

Appendix: Description of Selected National Youth Service Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa (Based on Data Collected in 2013)

Programme	Description
1. National Volunteer Programme of Burkina Faso	This voluntary programme engages youth aged 18 years or older. Participants serve for a period of 6 months to a year and are expected to volunteer for 40 h per week. Participants are engaged in a range of development fields including health, education, economic development, decentralisation and the environment
2. National Programme of Volunteering of Cape Verde (PNV)	The PNV is open to citizens of all ages, but youth and women are specifically targeted for participation. Participants are involved in a variety of online and offline advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting volunteering such as capacity building of volunteer organisations, raising awareness about volunteer recognition and the dissemination of good practices in the field
3. Cote d’Ivoire National Civic Service Programme (PSCN)	The PSCN was established to provide former rebels and fighters with training for work. The objectives are to (1) reduce youth unemployment, (2) educate young people about citizenship, (3) promote high intensity labour and (4) train youth in potential income-generating activities. PSCN targets young people aged 18 and 35 years who are physically fit. Participants serve for 9 months. Three months of civic education and citizenship is followed by 6 months of technical and vocational training in fields such as agro‐pastoral, handicrafts, building and public works, IT and communication
4. The Gambia National Youth Service Scheme	The NYSS engages participants aged 17–30 years, with regional recruitment quotas to ensure diversity. It aims to provide youth with skills for self‐employment and employment, and to develop disciplined, moral and development‐oriented youth. This voluntary programme enables 200 youth to work in an area of their choice. The 2‐year service scheme comprises a 6‐week paramilitary training course followed by 22 months of skills training and community service. The NYSS is one of the few programme in the region that has conducted an assessment and tracer study (2009) to understand the situation of its graduates
5. Ghana National Service Scheme (NSS)	Graduates from accredited tertiary institutions are required by law to undertake national service for 9 months to a year, in fields such as agriculture, health, education, government, youth programmes and the private sector. An estimated 80,000 youth were engaged in 2013; 69 % were male. The NSS aims to encourage a spirit of national service; undertake projects designed to combat hunger, illiteracy, disease and employment; provide essential services and amenities, particularly in rural areas; develop skilled manpower through practical training; and promote national unity
6. Kenya National Youth Service (NYS)	The objectives of the NYS are nation building through volunteerism and service in the military during a state of war or public emergency and the defence of the nation. The NYS engages youth aged 18–22 who have achieved at least a D+ in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. Participants must be medically and physically fit, unmarried and without dependants. Participants must meet certain height requirements, as per the armed forces’ strategy. Preference is given to orphans and disadvantaged youth. Participants complete 6 months of basic paramilitary training, followed by up to 2 years of service in various fields. Activities include constructing roads, airfields, dams and irrigation canals. After service they enrol in training and vocational institutes to take courses at diploma, certificate and craft levels. The Kenya NYS accepts 5000 recruits annually
7. Lesotho Youth Volunteer Corps Project (LYVCP)	LYVCP aims to contribute to poverty reduction and employment creation. The programme targets young graduates from universities and third‐level technical training. Participants serve for 1 year, 4 weeks of which are dedicated to training. Volunteers are placed in both public and private institutions, and work in fields relevant to their studies
8. Liberian National youth volunteer service programme	The NYVS aims to train youth volunteers in the areas of education, primary healthcare services and rural agriculture techniques, with special emphasis on rural communities. It was established in part to reduce divisions and polarisation after 15 years of civil conflict. The programme engages university graduates in a year of service, with an average of 114 volunteers participating in the years 2006–2008. Approximately a quarter of the 2013 participants were female
9. Mali National Centre for Promotion of Volunteering	The programme aims to promote youth volunteering and civic values, improve youth employability and build the capacity of host organisations. The intention is for volunteers to make a contribution to the country’s development. The maximum period of service is 2 years, but short-term contracts are also possible. Participants are aged 18–30 and are sent across the country. In 2012, there were 100 participants, but in 2013 there were only 26 participants due to the political crisis and difficulty of mobilising funding
10. Namibia National Youth Service	The Namibia NYS aims to facilitate youth contributions to socio‐economic development and poverty alleviation, create opportunities for skills development and career paths, deliver relevant national voluntary services and offer recognised skills training and personal development programmes to the youth. The programme targets Namibian citizens aged 16–35 years. Certain programmes require a specified level of education, such as those related to technical trades. Participants serve for 2 years and 6 months in agriculture, health, social services and public works. The programme involves three training phases: (1) civic training for 3 months; (2) service for 6 months and (3) skill training, which is followed by a 6‐month job placement. The NYS recruited 500 participants in 2013 and 640 recruits in 2012
11. Nigeria National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)	The NYSC is mandatory, involving graduates of universities and technical schools in a year of service in fields such as agriculture, health, education and infrastructure. Following a 3-week orientation, Corps members are posted to their primary assignment, often located in rural areas. During their service Corps members identify the needs of their host community and mobilise community members to undertake a related project. The NYSC was established after the civil war with the purpose of promoting national unity
12. Senegalese National Civic Service (NCS)	The NCS aims to encourage patriotism and civic-mindedness in young people, increase their employability by providing training in various fields, and engage young people in national development. It is voluntary programme targeting youth aged 18–35. Participants serve for 24 months and are involved in activities relating to agriculture, security, HIV/AIDS prevention, community health, environment, local development and literacy. Specific programmatic activities are determined by yearly campaigns and recommendations from government ministers. The NCS has mobilised around 4000 young people over the last decade
13. South African National Youth Service	The NYS aims to inculcate a culture of service and nation building; promote civic awareness and national reconstruction; support young people’s transition to adulthood; improve youth employability through opportunities for work experience, skill development and access to economic and further learning opportunities; and engage youth in the delivery of development objectives. The NYS is a hybrid, with programmes being designed and implemented by a range of different stakeholders, including government departments and civil society organisations. Programmes are registered with the NYS but otherwise tend to operate independently. They engage youth under the age of 35, although the age ranges vary by programme. Service ranges from ad hoc volunteering to more than 12 months of service, in fields such as health and social development, housing and community infrastructure, environment and nature conservation, water and sanitation, and education
14. Zambia National Service	Originally based on military training, the focus has shifted to agricultural training. The programme is voluntary and primarily engages street children, with the aim of rehabilitation and integration. Participants serve for 12–24 months and receive training in fields such as carpentry, welding, automotive mechanics, brick laying, agriculture and entrepreneurship. In 2013, the programme engaged 230 youth
15. Zimbabwe National Youth Service	The Zimbabwe NYS is a voluntary programme that engages youth aged 18–35 years. The NYS is aimed at supporting youth volunteering in the areas of disaster prevention or management; natural resources management; and the promotion of national interests, security and crime control. Participants complete 6 months to a year of service in various curricula and activity‐based fields of intervention. Over 50,000 youth have been trained from 2001 to 2008

Source: ICP and VOSESA (2013a)