By Tshidiso Masopha
An unpopular opinion when it comes to the youth unemployment conundrum in SA is that there are jobs available, but our youth don’t have the skills required to fill these jobs.
Youth development agency Afrika Tikkun and tech megalith Microsoft have teamed up to tackle this critical issue that we’ve been confronted with for a good part of the last decade.
In a roundtable discussion hosted by Afrika Tikkun and Microsoft under the theme ‘Skills Gap, Youth Unemployability and Employment‘, it was agreed that the main issues driving youth unemployment isn’t necessarily a lack of skills or desire to work, but rather a shortfall in collaboration between employers and the education sector.
Corporations are struggling to fill vacancies in the tech and finance industries, which are of course key sectors in the global economy. According to a recent study by Harambee and The Collective X, 28,000 digital and ICT jobs are being outsourced across our borders. That equates to some R8.5 billion in export revenue. So we’re in a situation where local employers are forced to look outside of SA for new recruits whilst struggling to retain the very few local personnel they’ve managed to find.
Talk about a Catch-22…
It’s clear then that we need to turn the current skills development system on its head and encourage a more collaborative relationship between companies and the various stakeholders who are responsible for imparting the youth with skills. Distinguished representatives from some of the country’s biggest companies, an assortment of recruitment agencies, and selected SMMEs share the same opinion.
“As we see slight improvements in some aspects of youth unemployment in SA, this is a crucial opportunity for employers to rethink their approach to workforce development. By embracing a mindset change and acknowledging the value of skills, employers can actively contribute to bridging the gap between available resources and the needs of industries affected by the skills shortage,” said Onyi Nwaneri, deputy CEO of Afrika Tikkun.
The round table panel concluded that employers should consider skills and competencies above formal qualifications. Likewise, young people need an attitude shift when it comes to skills development by taking up opportunities that globalisation and technology present.
“By embracing a mindset change and acknowledging the value of skills, employers can actively contribute to bridging the gap between available resources and the needs of industries affected by the skills shortage,” Nwaneri added.
With approximately 65,000 digital and ICT jobs projected for the year to come, of which at least 40,000 are entry-level positions suitable for the youth, we can only hope that a significant number of our skilled young people will be given an opportunity to make a living for themselves – all the while bringing our youth unemployment figures down a peg or two. 40,000 are entry-level positions suitable for the youth, we can only hope that a significant number of our skilled young people will be given an opportunity to make a living for themselves – all the while bringing our youth unemployment figures down a peg or two.
