Beyond the formal economy: meeting young people where they're at

Does the notion of the proper job and terms like formal and informal employment make sense in the world today? Are our ways of thinking about work preventing us from supporting young people's livelihoods? At a recent webinar, the HSRC's Adam Cooper and others suggested that education needs to better mirror the nature of work on the ground: fast-paced, responsive, and often made up of several different activities.

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Publication Details

Journal
Human Science Research Council SA
Published
2026-05-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14749/32377296
Primary Topic
Youth Education and Societal Dynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Beyond the formal economy: meeting young people where they're at

Human Sciences Research Council
Human Science Research Council SA
Youth Education and Societal Dynamics
article

Beyond the formal economy: meeting young people where they're at

Human Sciences Research Council
article en

Abstract

Does the notion of the proper job and terms like formal and informal employment make sense in the world today? Are our ways of thinking about work preventing us from supporting young people's livelihoods? At a recent webinar, the HSRC's Adam Cooper and others suggested that education needs to better mirror the nature of work on the ground: fast-paced, responsive, and often made up of several different activities.

Human Science Research Council SA
Decent work and economic growth
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Youth Education and Societal Dynamics
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Beyond the formal economy: meeting young people where they're at — Human Sciences Research Council · Human Science Research Council SA (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS