State to help youth be their own bosses

SOUTH African youth should focus on developing entrepreneurial skills because even tertiary education no longer guarantees employment, says deputy minister in the Presidency Buti Manamela.

“In 2013, we had close to 200 000 unemployed graduates, so the question of skills and education interventions at tertiary level do not guarantee employment. These are the things we need to start planning for.”

Manamela said young people needed to create employment by becoming entrepreneurs, rather than waiting for a job.

“I am a firm believer in encouraging young people towards the route of selfemployment. This is the central solution in dealing with youth unemployment, which means we have to encourage young people to take up entrepreneurship.

“We need to support them through funding,” he said.

Manamela was speaking at the annual Wits Labour Law conference in Joburg yesterday.

“We need to look at the interventions. Even with economic growth, we have always maintained high youth unemployment. There is no given that growing the economy will mean higher employment,” he said.

Manamela said universities should prepare young people better.

“There are stateled programmes that are meant to become a platform for successful small businesses. Small and medium businesses is one space to resolve youth unemployment,” he added.

“One of the things the government is advocating for is preferential employment for youth in big government projects, including the rollout of broadband and the manufacturing of solar water geysers.”

@heidigiokos