Final answer:
To combat adolescent unemployment, particularly among those not in school, increasing access to vocational training is vital, as it equips them with practical skills needed for the workforce. Complementing this with mentorship and apprenticeships can further enhance employability, while economic policies focused on job support and retraining for the structurally unemployed are also beneficial.
Step-by-step explanation:
Research suggests that the best way to combat the unemployment problem of adolescents who are not attending school is through increasing access to vocational training. Vocational training provides practical skills that are often missing in traditional educational pathways. Additionally, efforts such as mentorship programs, improved public schools, potentially including activities like internships and apprenticeships could help bridge the gap between academic knowledge and workplace readiness.
In some cases, such as in South Africa, the employability problem is significant due to youths being academically prepared but lacking the practical skills for the workplace. The government's initiative to pay unemployed youth while being 'trained-up' or apprenticed in South African firms is a step towards addressing this issue. Furthermore, economic policies supporting job-hunting, information flow about jobs, and worker mobility, as well as opportunities for retraining those with outdated skills, can enhance employment prospects.