Empowering Ourselves: How South African Unemployed Youth Can Create Skills and Employment
Like other nations in the World, there is no difference with South Africa in terms of the greatest challenge with the greatest of these challenges being the unemployed youth. We have a massive rate of youth unemployment with a number of South African youth being jobless and the problem is compounded with the socio-economic, rapid technological changes, and the education inequities. Among the challenges though is the one set of South African youth where it is the only unique one in the world, in that they have the ability to determine their future by learning the required skills and being innovative to create self-employment and employ others.
Understanding the Reality
Before discussing the possible ways to solve the problem, there is a need to understand some contextual issues on the problem as to why many young South Africans face such challenges. Such issues, which come in the form of barriers, structural inequities such as a large number of unemployed youth, inequities in available work opportunities in a given community, a lack of work experience, and available skills that do not match what is required to enter the workforce. The old ways of doing things, where one finishes school and gets a corporate job no longer promises secure employment. This is largely the case because there are not enough jobs available in both the public and private sector, which means as young people we must come up with other ways to address the problem: we must create our own skills, our own businesses, and our own opportunities.
Investment in Developing Skills
One of the most important things that an individual must have to be able to get a job or start a business, is to have a proper set of skills. Even the unemployed, jobless youths can take the time to learn in-demand skills. An example of these is the digital and trade skills.
Technical skills are practical skills one gets in a certain industry. In the digital economy which is rapidly expanding, there are numerous job opportunities and one can learn social media management, digital marketing, graphic design, or web development. Also, in many South African communities, there is a need for trade skills such as plumbing, electrical work, carpentry and automotive repair.
There is an opportunity to support food security in development by learning modern agricultural practices, organic farming, aquaculture, poultry farming, etc.
Soft skills (problem solving, team work, communication, leadership and financial literacy) are equally important, as it is the one that will help you thrive in self-employment, and pod projects.
Today, you are able to get new skills easier than in the past. There are many online and local training opportunities available. Local training centers, community colleges, and government programs like the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) or Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) offer training and free mentorship as well. With the skills and knowledge you get from these programs, you will have greater chances of getting employed and starting businesses of your own.
Entrepreneurship: Creating Our Own Jobs
If you cannot find a job in the business world, you will have to create your own business. You do not have to have a lot of money to start a business. You can start a small business that will create jobs and that you can do in your community. There are a lot of different types of business that young people in South Africa can set up. A few examples of these include:
Starting a service-based business: Service-based businesses like hairdressing, catering, cleaning, or tutoring (for students) generally require very little start-up capital; however, they fulfil a very important community need.
Digital entrepreneurial ventures: With digital entrepreneurial ventures, such as freelance work, tutoring online, and managing social media accounts, young people can create their own earning potential while providing services to individuals in other countries through online platforms (such as Upwork and Fiverr) or through other kinds of job boards or jobs.
Agriculture: Agriculture-based businesses create revenue through the production of such products as chickens, and the small-scale production of agricultural products and/or vegetables/herbs from backyard gardens. Agriculture provides local communities with food security and other resources that will benefit the community.
Handcrafted and handmade items such as pottery, clothing, jewellery and other creative items are being made by an increasing number of young entrepreneurs who now sell these items in local markets or online as well.
If you are starting a new business, remember to keep it small initially and then to expand as your customer base grows. Many entrepreneurs in South Africa started their businesses with very little, but because of their dedication to their business and their creativity, they have turned their business into the successful business that they are today. Young people can identify resource in a community, then combine with some of the local resources and with some of the other Young people to add community to a small project, then grow a community project to a sustainable business.
Teamwork and Networking
Working alone makes success impossible, and working together through collaborative efforts creates the most successful outcomes as we have shared ideas and have shared our success with one another. Young people can form partnerships or cooperatives to combine their resources and knowledge, and work on a large project in in unison. For instance, a group of youth in interested in the farming business can create a cooperative farming enterprise, where they share the expenses, the work, and profit together.
Networking is beneficial for gaining access to new people and for connecting to other people, like mentors and investors, who can help us in grow and in take the next steps. They can provide the resources and the direction and pathways to advance the business quickly. There are many people who share these with young entrepreneurs.
The Support Available from the Government and NGOs
There are many funds and skill building programs in the South African Government and NGO sector to help the youth like:
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) offers young South Africans mentorship and financial support to young South African entrepreneurs.
The Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) provides business consultancy, and support in the development of the enterprise.
The Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) provide skill development opportunities in different areas like IT, manufacturing and others.
Youth Employment Service (YES): This organization is dedicated to providing young people with access to employment opportunities within companies that have made a commitment to hiring young people.
Youth have access to financial resources, training, and networking opportunities to assist in the successful launching of various programs.
SELF-EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING
Learning does not have to happen with schools in a classroom and young South Africans can learn to gain skills like IT, learn business and other socially relevant skills?. It is possible to learn this individually and there are a number of cheap to free resources like the internet. The South African internet can learn through resources like Coursera, edX and YouTube videos and through some local organizations where there are small online courses Active learning. One of the ways to not fall behind is through the South African education system. The South African ambassador to online education is without doubt the South African Coursera.
Innovation and Problem Solving
Many successful businesses started by young people are the result of identifying a need in the surroundings and finding ways to fulfill alternative solutions to the identified challenge. Innovation does not require technology and may be as simple as providing a more efficient and effective means of providing a product or service to the community. A good example is a delivery service that uses bicycles in areas that have limited transport, or the production of inexpensive and biodegradable products that fulfill a need in the community. This generates a social good along with financial resources.
Mindset and Resilience
In order to gain skills and be successful in obtaining a job, remaining persistent as well as being open-minded are two of the key components required. There are many obstacles the younger generation must overcome, but ultimately the success of the younger generation will be determined by the extent to which they want and are driven to succeed. Constant improvement of oneself via personal growth; discipline development; and learning from one’s own errors will result in a successful outcome. If everyone supported each other with kind words and helpful actions, along with direction and support, it would help the overall development of a young person to be able to “endure” obstacles.
Conclusion
The concerning level of youth unemployment in South Africa poses a challenge, and it opens the door for the rest of us to take control of our destinies. Self-initiated skills development, entrepreneurial action, partnership, government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) providing support; and a commitment to lifelong learning all contribute toward the possibility of creating self-employment opportunities for ourselves, and subsequently, creating employment opportunities for many others in our communities.
South African youth are incredibly talented, creative, tenacious. Although conventional careers might be restricted, the potential to imagine and build new opportunities is boundless. Every inch of progress we make through self-betterment, entrepreneurship, and the uplifting of the community mobilizes a greater movement where young South Africans are not just employed, but also empowered. We forsake the passive route and ensure that the high levels of unemployment in the country are transformed from a hindrance, to a driving force for advancement and economic growth.
