SADC Youth Leaders Tackle AI and Unemployment in Regional Dialogue
The two-day event, concluding August 15, aims to strengthen social accountability in public resource management across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Southern African youth representatives called for urgent action to address unemployment and harness artificial intelligence (AI) at a regional dialogue on Wednesday, writes Winston Mwale.
The 4th Regional Dialogue for Non-State Actors on the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 brought together young leaders to discuss pressing issues facing the region's youth.
Emelda Vhiriri of the Southern Africa Youth Forum emphasized the need for educational reform.
"We need to review our curriculum to incorporate aspects of digitalization," Vhiriri said.
"We're talking about integrating AI into education so that our learners are prepared for future job markets."
Daniel Haule, representing Tanzania in the Southern Africa Youth Parliament, stressed the importance of balancing tradition with innovation.
"We need to create a balance between our roots as Africans and the emergence of AI in the future of work," Haule stated.
The dialogue highlighted the mismatch between youth skills and employer needs. Vhiriri noted, "There's a noticeable mismatch between the skills of young people entering the workforce and the needs of employers."
Haule pointed to Uganda as a model for youth involvement in AI policy.
"In Uganda, there is a specific task force for AI, which also has young people in it," he said.
"The task force is tasked to think on the roadmap of AI, its transition and future."
The two-day event, concluding August 15, aims to strengthen social accountability in public resource management across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.