Employability pathways in a sport-for-development programme for girls in a Sub-Saharan impoverished setting

Problem statement: In Africa, youth unemployment is projected to worsen by 2050, partly because of an increase of about 6 million youths (15-24 years) per year entering the job market. Youth employability and employment mostly refer to formal wage employment without considering the earning capacity in different sectors of the informal economy. There is a significant knowledge gap relating to the potential contribution of the sport-for-development sector to youth employment. Pathway training for girls to ensure sustainable livelihoods – either as a contribution to household survival or socio-economic independence, informs the current research question. Purpose: The research aimed to unpack issues relating to youth employment/employability and pathway development of employability by evaluating relevant outcomes of a sport for development (SfD) programme of a non-government organisation (NGO). Methods: A mixed-method approach required the completion of a questionnaire on resilience by 255 participants (adolescent girls and young women/ACYW) and 19 leaders among school children (goal champions/GCs) from 19 different primary schools in impoverished communities within the Tshwane Metropole (Gauteng Province in South Africa). Qualitative data entailed focus groups in which 14 GCs, 37 ACYWs and 11 youth sport leaders (YSLs as programme implementers) participated. Four in-depth interviews focused on the employment strategies of YSLs delivering sport and a “money savvy” programme to vulnerable youth. Results: Contextual realities shaped the agency of all research participants from relatively impoverished households. The results show an increase in several dimensions of resilience, the mastery of fundamental life skills and a positive development trajectory towards entrepreneurship, personal savings, social connectivity, job-related experience and access to formal education and employment. Conclusions: Such a programme delivers different outcomes to different age cohorts associated with the level of maturity and roles and responsibilities of participants and coaches (YSLs). Particularly soft skills are envisaged to be highly transferable to the world of work as the youth find employment or engage in entrepreneurship.