But as the pandemic halted studies and wiped out employment opportunities for millions of young people around the world, the 23-year-old graduate found a silver lining – using the lockdown to launch her career as an independent screenwriter.
Young people are being more entrepreneurial and looking at career and employment as well as education in a more non-traditional way “The traditional sort of first jobs in the service industry, in the hospitality industry are just not there.” With so many applicants chasing so few jobs, screenwriter Akerele realised she could benefit more from pursuing independent projects and freelance work than sending off applications.Reichle said many young people lack the means to launch their own companies or pursue creative projects, but with more government support they could.Kimberly-Viola Heita , thought 2020 would be the year she became a student radio presenter and formed a new political society at the University of Namibia.
As jobs and education moved online during the pandemic, digital skills became in more demand than ever – a trend which will likely continue, said Drew Gardiner, a youth employment specialist at the ILO.