What is Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and how does the organization tackle the issue of youth employment?

Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a South African non-profit organization that uses impact sourcing to connect employers looking for entry-level talent to young work-seekers who are struggling to find work. Only 5 years old, the organisation has made a massive impact on youth employment by placing more than 30,000 candidates with over 300 employers.

Are you experiencing barriers in your implementation of workforce projects for youth (ages 15-35)?

Employers are generally concerned about the risks of employing first-time workers. To reduce these risks, Harambee has developed a bespoke model that, on scale, sources, trains and places unemployed young people into first-time jobs. By working collaboratively with employers, Harambee has been able to change the mind-set of employers.

What are some of the best practices or key lessons learned you have developed as a result of these barriers?

Harambee scientifically matches candidates to suitable jobs by using a combination of psychometric, qualitative and learning potential assessments. To date the organization has conducted more than 1 million assessments, and this methodology has resulted in higher staff retention and ongoing success for candidates and employers.

What current tools or measures, if any, are you using to target youth in program implementation? How and where are these tools being used?

Harambee candidates who pass the initial phases enter into bridging programmes that are specifically targeted at demand led employment opportunities. The different bridges are based on employer requirements and are designed to provide candidates with the knowledge and skills required to perform the work that would be expected of them.

Harambee also provides work-seeker support in an effort to encourage and teach the skills required by a young person to look for work, prepare for an interview and essentially be able to self place.

Is this tool being used differently in developing vs developed countries?

The Harambee model is currently only being rolled out in South Africa.

Does your organization have an advocacy or communications platform that highlights youth unemployment challenges? (Please include links)

Harambee has a rapidly growing social media footprint. Our Facebook page – aimed at candidates – has over 300 000 followers, while our Twitter and LinkedIn profiles speak more to employers.

Do you have any recent publications or upcoming events you would like to have featured to other member organizations for calendar year 2017?

Keep an eye on Harambee’s social media platforms for upcoming events. Here’s a link to the Harambee overview video .

The Harambee YouTube channel houses numerous candidate success stories as well as employer and funder partnership videos.

Should you like us to send you further information on Harambee, please email [email protected].

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