Understanding youth experiences of skills development and employment in rural Malawi: Perceived barriers to school to work transition

Abstract

This study examines youth perceptions of skills development and school-to-work transition in rural Malawi, drawing on evidence from Nkhotakota, Dowa, Mulanje, and Phalombe districts. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combined survey data from 300 young people aged 18–35 with qualitative insights from key informant interviews involving vocational trainers, district officials, employers, and community leaders. Rather than directly measuring labour market mismatch, the study explores how young people perceive the relevance of vocational skills training to their employment experiences and transition into work. Findings indicate that many young people perceive Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training programmes as only partially aligned with available rural livelihood and employment opportunities. Respondents reported difficulties securing employment related to their training, with many transitioning into informal self-employment, subsistence agriculture, or other income-generating activities outside their areas of specialization. Participants attributed these experiences to shortcomings in training relevance, limited practical exposure, inadequate access to start-up capital, weak connections between training institutions and employers, and persistent gender norms influencing occupational choices. Key informants reinforced these perceptions, highlighting institutional constraints including limited industry engagement, resource shortages, and weak coordination between training providers and local economic actors. The study contributes empirical evidence on how rural youth experience transitions from training to work and how institutional and socioeconomic conditions shape these experiences. It underscores the importance of strengthening collaboration among TEVET providers, employers, and local government, expanding work-based learning, promoting gender-inclusive vocational pathways, and enhancing entrepreneurship and business development support for sustainable and inclusive rural youth employment.