What really helps young people make the transition from school to work in Africa: technical skills or soft skills?

In this episode of Afri-CAN, Wendy Cunningham from the World Bank makes the case for soft skills — or, as she puts it, socio-emotional behavioural skills — as a crucial part of employability and success. She explores how these skills affect earning potential, job opportunities, and business performance, and explains which ones matter most for both employees and entrepreneurs across Africa.

The conversation also looks at the bigger picture: how investing in these skills among young people could create lasting change across the continent. From education to enterprise, this episode asks whether Africa may need to think differently about what truly prepares people for work.