WUSC & Mastercard Foundation: Market Assessment of Digital Employment Opportunities for Refugee Youth
August 2022
Young people are one of the groups most disproportionately affected by displacement. At this age, many refugee youth face substantial pressure to start earning. However, they are not entering a friendly job market - contending with limited rights to work, lack of freedom of movement and stiff competition with local populations seeking scarce employment opportunities. It is within this context that the digital economy has pushed its way forward as an increasingly attractive vehicle for job creation amongst refugee populations.
In partnership with WUSC (World University Service of Canada) and the Mastercard Foundation, Samuel Hall conducted a market assessment of digital employment opportunities for refugee youth in Kenya with a focus on interrogating the ability of the digital economy to live up to expectations and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for refugee youth.
Our findings show that, while the demand for digital skills is growing, this growth will not necessarily equate to an increase in long-term sustainable employment opportunities for refugee youth. Concerted efforts must be made to improve access of refugee youth, especially women and those with disabilities, to digital infrastructure - incentivise demand for refugee’s skills and ensure appropriate protection is in place to prevent online exploitation.