For many young graduates in Africa, the first step into the labour market begins with a confusing requirement: an entry-level job that demands two to three years of previous experience. A graduate may have completed university, undertaken academic projects, volunteered and developed useful skills, yet still be rejected because they have not previously worked in a formal position.
This creates what can be described as the experience trap: young people need a job to gain experience, but employers require experience before offering them a job.
The problem is not limited to one country. Across Africa, millions of young people enter the labour market every year, while formal employment opportunities remain limited. The World Bank has noted that approximately 10–12 million young people enter African labour markets annually, compared with only about three million new formal jobs. It has also identified skills mismatches and the experience gap as major barriers to youth employment.
The experience trap has serious economic and psychological consequences. Graduates can spend months or even years applying for jobs without receiving meaningful feedback. Some become discouraged and stop applying altogether, while others accept unpaid internships or poorly paid work simply to build their CVs.
This creates inequality because not every young person can afford to work without a salary, transport allowance or social protection.
The trap can also encourage exploitation. When employers know that young people desperately need experience, they may offer temporary positions with excessive workloads and limited opportunities for learning and professional development. Some workers remain trapped in a cycle of short-term contracts, volunteering and casual employment without gaining a stable income or a clear career path.
This situation is especially concerning in Africa, where nearly nine in 10 young workers in low- and lower-middle-income countries are engaged in informal employment, often without adequate social protection. The challenge, therefore, is not only finding work; it is finding decent work that provides fair pay, security, mentorship and opportunities for career progression.
What Needs to Change?
First and foremost, employers need to distinguish between essential experience and skills that can be learned on the job. Instead of automatically demanding two or three years of experience, organisations should identify the actual competencies required for a position.
These may include communication, research, teamwork, digital literacy, problem-solving and the ability to meet deadlines. Graduates can demonstrate many of these abilities through academic research, volunteering, student leadership, community work and personal projects.
Companies should also create more structured graduate trainee programmes, apprenticeships and paid internships. These programmes allow young people to gain practical experience while giving employers an opportunity to train workers according to organisational needs.
Universities and employers must work more closely together. University courses should incorporate practical assignments, workplace projects, career guidance and opportunities for students to interact with industry. Employers, in turn, should communicate the skills they need and participate in curriculum development.
The African Union has similarly emphasised demand-driven skills development, stronger links between training institutions and industry, and youth-targeted employment programmes.
Governments also have a crucial role to play. They can provide incentives for businesses that hire and train first-time workers, strengthen labour protections for interns and invest in sectors capable of creating large numbers of decent jobs.
Public employment programmes should not focus only on temporary placements. They should provide recognised skills, mentorship and pathways to longer-term employment.
The experience trap is not simply a failure of young graduates. It is a structural problem created by limited formal jobs, skills mismatches, weak school-to-work transitions and recruitment practices that treat experience as more important than potential.
Young people should be expected to develop relevant skills, but they should not be required to prove years of employment before receiving their first genuine opportunity.
NAMUWAYA RAIMAH is a Research Officer at the Afro-Arab Youth Council.
