Over 1 billion young people in developing countries will look for work in the coming decade, and this is an economic opportunity like no other but also a massive risk if the world doesn’t make significant progress on digital inclusion over the coming years. The workforce is already digital-first. Almost every job out there requires at least some basic computer literacy, digital tools, and connection. Unfortunately, in a large number of developing countries this isn’t the reality.
A significant proportion of young workers still face considerable barriers when it comes to accessing not only reliable internet but devices, too, and there is also little access to quality training that prepares workers for a modern labor market. Failing to close the digital divide will increase inequality and mean that a disproportionately large percentage of the developing world's young workers are pushed towards low-paid, precarious informal work. Widening access to affordable connectivity, building a strong education system that offers digital skills, and ensuring those skills are relevant are essential to unlocking massive employment opportunities for young people. The digital dividends of such a movement are substantial: this growing youth population would be the driver of enhanced productivity, it would attract more foreign and domestic investment, and it would enable developing countries to compete in a globalizing world economy.
This youth dividend is an enormous force in economic development that we must capture. The future of work is digital, and digital inclusion is the only way for countries to realize this opportunity and drive poverty reduction and prosperity.
