The Cost of Premature Deindustrialisation and the Economic Crisis for Young People in a Zimbabwean Town
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6549/15826Keywords:
young people, deindustrialisation, skills, training, higher education, ZimbabweAbstract
Deindustrialisation in Zimbabwe has garnered considerable interest among researchers across various academic fields. There is a substantial scholarly discourse regarding its impact on the national economy, employment reduction, heightened levels of adult unemployment, brain drain, escalating urban poverty, societal disintegration, and gender and health ramifications. However, existing research has focused on these themes, resulting in a critical gap in understanding how the phenomenon has impacted young people. This study addresses this gap by emphasising the neglect of young people as a demographic category in current discourse. It uses ethnographic data collected in Norton Town to shed light on how young people have experienced and responded to this phenomenon. An important discovery from the study is that there have been notable shifts in the perspectives of young individuals regarding activities like higher education, training, and formal employment. Additionally, the inquiry unveiled that this trend has significantly impacted the standard of high school and tertiary education, as well as internship and apprenticeship programmes.
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Accepted 2024-05-27
Published 2024-06-10
