Youth unemployment is one of the crises that is defining our country. On Thursday 9 February 2023 during the State of the Nation Address, the President acknowledged the systemic nature of the challenge; however, 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.
We appreciate the accountability of the projected deliverables from SONA 2022; but the speech didn’t reflect the day-to-day challenges young South Africans face, and it didn’t put forward solutions that can fuel their resilience and hope.
Kristal Duncan-Williams
In Youth Capital’s interviews on eNCA, Project Lead Kristal Duncan-Williams underlined the missed opportunities of SONA 2022 such as addressing the skills gap between young job-seekers and potential employers. While President Ramaphosa encouraged the private sector to do away with work experience, research shows that many small businesses don’t have the resources to mentor and onboard new hires. ‘We need to create a skills pipeline that serves the needs of the economy; we must also leverage the plethora of youth employability programmes that could assist small businesses find and retain the right young person’.
Read more – Bridge the Gap. Finding the ‘right’ young hire.
