Small businesses are repeatedly asked to hire young people, but what holds them back? Youth Capital wanted to understand the challenges that business owners face, to bridge the existing gaps between young job-seekers, and businesses looking to hire. This is why the campaign ran focus groups and a national survey to unveil some of their realities, and put forward solutions.
In this interview with Clarence Ford on Cape Talk, Youth Capital’s Project Lead Kristal Duncan-Williams unveils the paradox that small businesses face: while they are increasingly encouraged to hire young people, they don’t receive tailored support.
All the survey respondents agreed on the value and innovative approach that young people bring to the workplace; but because of time and resource constraints, small businesses often struggle to recruit the right young person. While government-led incentives are in place, small business owners are not always aware of the different options, and how to navigate the red tape that is involved in accessing them.
Kristal Duncan-Williams
One of the challenges in reporting on small businesses is accessing accurate stats, since many businesses are informal; as a result, accurate numbers are hard to come by. However, it’s been acknowledged that small businesses offer young people a great environment for their first work experience.
The Learn & Do section of Bridge the Gap includes five top tips to follow, in order to hire and retain young talent successfully.
Listen to the interview with Clarence below.