A review of enabling factors in support intervention programmes for early school leavers: What are the implications for Sub-Saharan Africa?

•We review literature on support intervention programmes for early school leavers.•We identify enabling factors in support intervention programmes.•Beneficial programmes are flexible, holistic and offer intensive support.•Link to the labour market and possible further education is very important.•Support programmes must be tailored to the needs of the local economy.

One of the major problems facing education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa is the phenomenon of young people who leave school before completion. Research has shown that this phenomenon disadvantages young people and exposes them to various forms of social exclusion. Accordingly, there have been increasing calls for the scaling up of support intervention programmes for young people who leave school early. This paper analyses literature on support intervention programmes for early school leavers (ESLs) to identify enabling factors that can be promoted in future or in current less effective interventions. The review revealed that programmes that address the multiple disadvantages and needs of young people through flexible, holistic and intensive support approaches tend to be more attractive and beneficial to the participants. The findings from this review are crucial to policy makers and teachers working in support intervention programmes for ESLs.