Quality Assessment of Online Platforms Utilised by Urban Youth Aged 18-25 in Cape Town for Academic and Professional Development

Urban youth aged 18-25 in Cape Town are increasingly utilising online platforms for both academic and professional development. A mixed-methods approach combining surveys with qualitative interviews to gather data from a sample of 150 urban youth in Cape Town. The majority (82%) rated online learning resources as moderately effective for academic purposes, while professional development platforms were rated slightly better at 90%. Themes identified included accessibility and user interface issues. Urban youth are leveraging online platforms effectively for their educational needs, with notable improvements required in platform usability and content quality. Developers should focus on enhancing platform design and expanding professional development offerings to align more closely with industry standards.