Ramaphosa unveils plan to fix youth unemployment
He said the government was pursuing a three-pronged strategy focused on employment creation, skills development and economic inclusion
As South Africa commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Uprising on Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that youth unemployment had become the defining struggle of a new generation, revealing that more than 4,7 million young people remained without work.
Unveiling a number of interventions aimed at tackling the crisis on Youth Day, Ramaphosa said the fight against unemployment, poverty and inequality must become the country’s foremost priority if young South Africans were to achieve the economic freedom envisioned by the youth of 1976.
“The youth of 1976 fought exclusion. Ours must fight unemployment, poverty and inequality. Behind every statistic is a young person who wants to work, wants to contribute and wants to build a future,” Ramaphosa said.
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He said the government was pursuing a three-pronged strategy focused on employment creation, skills development and economic inclusion. The first pillar involves expanding public employment programmes, youth service initiatives and workplace experience opportunities.
More than 5,7 million young people have registered on the SA Youth.mobi platform, with over two million accessing earning opportunities through the initiative.
The second pillar focuses on reforming South Africa’s skills development system to better align education with labour market demands.
The government aims to achieve this by strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and improving collaboration between training institutions, employers and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).
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The third pillar, he said, centred on opening up the economy to young people through infrastructure investment and support for small businesses.
The government plans to invest R1 trillion in infrastructure over the next three years, including roads, schools, hospitals, railways, electricity networks and water projects. These projects will create opportunities for apprenticeships, artisan development, skills transfer and youth-owned enterprises.
Ramaphosa called on the private sector to play a more active role in addressing unemployment by hiring young people based on their potential rather than prior work experience.
“The young person in front of you does not lack ability.,” he said.
They lack only the chance to prove it. The country’s success should ultimately be measured by whether young people can move from education to skills, from skills to employment, and from entrepreneurship to ownership and economic prosperity.
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) said unemployment had stripped and continued to strip young people of their dignity. Executive chairperson Dr Sunshine Myende said it created dependency and deprived young people of growth opportunities.
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“In our families and communities we can’t air our views because we’re unemployed. The government must declare unemployment a pandemic and a disaster. We are faced with arrogance when approaching government departments for help.
“A qualification should never become a waiting room for unemployment. We want sustainable jobs and not internships. We don’t want breadcrumbs, but the actual bread,” Myende said.
