The World Bank Group has cautioned that approximately 1.2 billion young people are projected to join the labour markets of developing nations over the coming decade, raising fears of an expanding global employment gap as many may not possess the skills employers demand.

Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer at the World Bank Group, highlighted that the increasing disconnect between education systems and fast-changing labour markets could leave millions of young people ill-equipped for the workforce of the future.

“How can young people find their footing in an economy that keeps changing beneath their feet? That question is urgent everywhere,” he said while delivering a lecture at the Vice Chancellor’s Occasional Lecture Series at the University of Ghana on Monday, March 16.

“These are not just numbers, they are lives, a gap between the systems that have been built to educate people and the needs of economies that are changing at a very fast pace. The challenge is not simply to get people into jobs. It is to raise productivity and earnings across all types of work so that millions of young Africans who are working are getting ahead,” he said.

“Jobs that exist today will look fundamentally different in ten years’ time. Skills that were sufficient a decade ago will not be sufficient today,” he warned.

He emphasised that the World Bank Group is prioritising education, skills development, and employment generation within its development agenda, pursuing a strategy that strengthens foundational learning, aligns tertiary education with labour market demands, and fosters entrepreneurship.

“Every individual deserves the education, the skills and the opportunity to access meaningful employment and to realise their full potential,” he said.