‘Young people were mentioned four times during the State of the Nation Address 2023, even though unemployment was mentioned as one of the main crisis to be tackled’ said Youth Capital’s Project Lead Kristal Duncan-Williams in her conversation with Clarence Ford on Cape Talk about the President’s speech. According to advocacy campaign Youth Capital. the speech failed to capture urgent timelines for bold solutions that can make a real difference in the lives of young people and their communities.
The missed opportunities from #SONA2023 include the lack of an effective skills pipeline to drive development, a relevant plan to power small businesses, and a focus on short-term work opportunities through public programmes.
‘The journey from education to earning for a young South Africans is full of obstacles, and the government is looking at the issue in a very fragmented way, without a unifying strategy. This is inhibiting us from harnessing the potential of young people for our country’ adds Duncan-Williams.
Check Youth Capital’s research on the impact of the Basic Education Employment Inititative here.