Youth Employment GPS SA

A data platform that tracks employment trends, predicts in-demand skills, and evaluates training programs to guide youth, policymakers, and educators in South Africa's job market.

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Inspiration

Africa is the youngest continent in the world, with over 60% of the population under the age of 25. We are rich in talent, culture, and potential, but we’re facing a crisis of opportunity. South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world with over 45% of young people (aged 15–34) unable to find work.It’s a painful reality I know firsthand. Like many South Africans, I grew up in a system where information was scarce, guidance was limited, and opportunity felt random. I didn’t know which skills were worth learning. I didn’t trust half the training programs I came across. And there was no real-time, local data to help me make smart decisions about my future. Eventually, through self-research, frustration, and trial-and-error, I found my way into tech. But that experience showed me one thing clearly: “The system doesn’t lack talent, it lacks tools.” Youth Employment GPS was born from that truth.

What it does

Youth Employment GPS is an AI-powered platform that helps solve youth unemployment with real-time insights and predictions. Key Features: Employment Hotspots: See job distribution by region and sector (e.g Green Energy in Northern Cape) AI Skill Demand Predictor: Forecast top 5 future skills per sector and province using Google Cloud’s ML tools Training ROI Tracker: Evaluate training providers based on job placement outcomes Career Advisor: Enter a skill + experience level and get personalised AI insights Policy Maker Dashboard: Download regional job market data to drive strategy

How we built it

Core Language & Framework: The application is written in TypeScript and built on top of React. This combination provides a strong, type-safe foundation for creating dynamic and maintainable user interfaces. AI Services: The intelligent features, like predicting skill demand, providing career advice, and tailoring CVs, are all powered by the Google Gemini API. I'm using the @google/genai JavaScript library to interact with the gemini-2.5-flash model. Styling: The entire user interface is styled using Tailwind CSS. It's a utility-first CSS framework that allows for rapid development of a clean, responsive, and modern design directly within the HTML structure. Data Visualization: For the "Employment Hotspots" chart, I've integrated the Recharts library. It's a composable charting library built on React components that makes it easy to create beautiful and interactive data visualizations. Module System: The project uses a modern, build-less setup with native ES Modules and an importmap in the index.html file. This allows the browser to directly import dependencies from a CDN (esm.sh), simplifying the development process.

Challenges we ran into

Limited access to reliable African job data API and billing constraints, particularly when using AI tools like Natural Language Processing Time constraints , the entire MVP was built in just a few days for the hackerthon It was also my first time incorparting AI to a project so it was a bit of a learning curve.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a fully working, cloud-native AI platform in a short timr period. Designed a product with South African youth in mind, but scalable across Africa Created something visually beautiful, socially impactful, and technically sound Proved that data can do more than describe, it can direct, empower, and transform

What we learned

That AI + cloud + open data = a powerful force for change That South Africa’s pain points are often shared across the continent, we need localized, actionable tech. That career guidance must go beyond generic advice, it should be grounded in regional trends and real outcomes Most importantly: that change begins when we build from our own lived stories

What's next for Youth Employment GPS SA

This started as a project for South Africa, but the vision is bigger I want to help youth across the continent.

Next, steps: Adding more African countries and local job data Partnering with real training providers and employers to improve accuracy Building a mobile-first version for easier access Adding practical tools like skill paths, career tips, and mentorship links Looking for support to grow, from funders, mentors, and collaborators

I have proven what’s possible in just a few days. Now we want to build something that lasts.

Built With

  • clean
  • ems
  • gemini
  • github
  • google
  • interactive-ui-ai-features:-powered-by-google-gemini-(gemini-2.5-flash)-using-the-@google/genai-library-styling:-tailwind-css-for-fast
  • netlify
  • react
  • tailwind
  • typescript
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