National Youth Development Agency CEO, Waseem Carrim highlighted that every year, at least one million young people leave school in South Africa, where 28% enter post-schooling education.
The Human Sciences Research Council (HRSC) revealed that the unemployment rate of graduates between the ages of 15 and 24 was much higher than that of graduates aged 25 to 34.
The Council’s Director for Impact and Research Development, Shirin Motala has indicated that a lack of relevant work experience, limited social capital, and insufficient information for job searching compounds the problem of youth unemployment.
Fortunately, The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is participating in the government employment stimulus to provide unemployed graduates with useful university-based experience in a range of areas.
In a statement, Higher Education Minister Dr. Blade Nzimande has shared:
In the 2021/22 financial year an amount of R90 million was allocated to support the Presidential Youth Employment Stimulus programme across all 26 universities with 3000 graduates placed on contract.
According to the department, universities will be required to submit monthly reports with updates on placements of graduates including information on jobs created, demographics, number of graduates leaving the programme and reasons, challenges experienced, and financial reports.
DHET has further decided it will conduct tracer studies in this financial year to establish which universities yield graduate employment and in which fields of study.
The department and HRSC said their joint internship programmes were aimed at providing work experience for unemployed graduates through placement in relevant institutions.
The department has confirmed that it is working on improving existing initiatives, such as the development of an electronic system to track young people as they seek out opportunities in the knowledge economy.
In 2022, Nzimande urged all employers to open their doors to students to provide them with workplace learning for job creation at the summit on Strategic Industry Partnerships with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges.
In this summit, the department and its partners in government, industry, and academia shared best practices and innovation regarding the expansion of workplace-based learning opportunities for TVET college students.
How Does Work-Integrated Learning Benefit Graduates?
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) provides graduates with an opportunity to gain employment by exposing them to workplace experience and enhancing their soft skills.
WIL also helps students develop their sense and awareness of workplace culture, which is important for success in the job market.
Additionally, this will also help graduates build a network of contacts, explore new and exciting roles, and make informed career decisions after graduation.
