As youth unemployment continues to be a national crisis, small businesses have been increasingly expected to provide solutions for economic growth and to absorb young talent. But there is a paradox: even though they make up 40% of the GDP, and created more than 1,800 jobs per day between 2016 and 2019, their challenges are often not recognised nor addressed. Even though small businesses show economic potential, we need to pull the right levers to ensure that they are supported in their efforts.
To start bridging this gap, Youth Capital engaged with small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in focus groups and a national survey, to understand the challenges that they face when hiring and retaining young talent. The insights are unpacked in the report, Bridge the Gap. Finding the ‘right’ young hire.
In this interview on eNCA, Youth Capital’s Project Lead Kristal Duncan-Williams outlines the SMMEs’ major obstacles, and some solutions that could fix the situation.