Educated, yet excluded

Why Namibia’s youth struggle to bridge the skills gap
Namibia’s youth unemployment crisis is no longer about qualifications alone, but about a growing disconnect between academic training and the practical skills, experience and workplace readiness demanded by entry-level employers.
Francouis Pretorius
  • 4 Hours Ago

Namibia’s youth unemployment crisis is increasingly being driven not by a lack of education, but by a widening gap between what graduates learn and what entry-level jobs actually require.

Young people are leaving institutions qualified on paper yet struggle to secure meaningful work in a labour market that demands practical skills, adaptability and workplace readiness.

According to the Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO), the mismatch between education outcomes and economic needs has reached crisis levels. NANSO spokesperson Jessy Abraham said, “The skills mismatch problem is a crisis that demands urgent attention. This is not a failure of students, but a systemic failure in how we’ve aligned education with economic needs.”

Experience gap

One of the most persistent barriers facing young graduates is the “experience trap,” where entry-level positions require two to five years of experience. “How can our graduates gain experience if no one will give them their first opportunity?” Abraham asked.

Limited access to internships, attachments and work-integrated learning has left many young people unable to bridge the gap between theory and practice, with some students even experiencing delayed graduations due to a lack of placements.

Abraham added that many students enter oversaturated fields without adequate career guidance. “Students make career choices based on limited information, peer influence or outdated perceptions of prestigious careers,” he said, noting that by the time reality sets in, “they’ve already invested years and significant resources.”

From an employer-aligned perspective, Namibian Scientific Society chief executive Ruth Moldzio said the disconnect is evident in day-to-day workplace expectations. She believes many graduates lack foundational competencies required at entry level, despite holding formal qualifications. Employers, she said, frequently observe gaps in practical problem-solving, accountability and basic administrative skills.

What's lacking

“Most employers value curiosity, situational awareness and the ability to engage with what is happening in the immediate work environment,” Moldzio said. “These skills are often underdeveloped, which contributes to the perceived gap between education outcomes and workplace expectations.”

Beyond employability, the impact on young people is deeply personal. “The psychological impacts we’re seeing include depression and anxiety, as the gap between expectations and reality crushes self-esteem,” Abraham said. Prolonged underemployment delays life milestones, strains families and fuels disillusionment with education as a pathway to opportunity.

NANSO is calling for compulsory, quality-assured work-integrated learning across all qualifications, stronger industry partnerships, and transparent labour market information to guide students’ choices.

The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts, and Culture was approached for comment and asked to respond on what measures are currently in place to address the youth skills gap, its views on claims that graduates are not job-ready, and what interventions exist to support the transition from education into entry-level employment. However, no response had been received by the time of publication.