Helping to remedy the youth unemployment crisis

AFTER scenes of youth insurrections, which became a turning point in South Africa’s political landscape 45 years ago, one of the greatest ironies of our democratic dispensation is the staggering level of youth unemployment, while the country faces a chronic skills deficit.

Despite the impressive numbers of youth entering higher learning institutions, the country can still not plug the gaping hole of skills shortages.

Instead of replenishing the skills to counter the chronic shortages, the challenge continues to fester into a serious problem. This plays itself out in youth unemployment numbers becoming out of control.

Every day we are confronted by disillusioned youth complaining about the inability of the job market to create sufficient opportunities to absorb them into employment. Compounding this challenge, countless others claim to be excluded from opportunities to further their studies to acquire relevant skills that will open up prospects for them to be gainfully employed.

For example, unemployed youth hope the investment in infrastructure development will translate into an obligation and a commitment to create jobs. This is also seen to be the case with the Department of Water and Sanitation, where direct job creation takes place through the development, operation and management of water infrastructure. Through investment in infrastructure development, the youth see opportunities for employment for them to attain equitable social and economic benefits.

As the country observes another Youth Month throughout June, there should be a glimpse into a gathering of pace to channel the energy of the youth towards the acquisition of relevant and useful skills. These should not just be skills that only allow them to land jobs but skills that are a catalyst for the development of the country.

There should be a considerable certainty about the skills needed. Anything to the contrary would be setting the country’s development trajectory back by many years.

Through exposing the youth to relevant skills commensurate with the demands of the national development agenda, the country will be in a position to deal with the high levels of youth unemployment.

This will also help to deal with the perception that youth unemployment is merely an irritation not treated with the urgency it deserves.

The department believes people should be targeted at an early age and space be created for them to join the employment ranks. At the heart of this view is the department’s aim of advocating for the promotion of long-term human resource planning, skills retention strategies, and the creation of an enabling environment for the replenishment of skills within the water and sanitation sector.

To this end, the department is restarting the Youth Water Prize Competition. It targets Grade 9 and 11 pupils to come up with innovative projects to address challenges in the water and sanitation sector. The competition is a direct response to dwindling critical skills in the sector.

Furthermore, the department offers annual bursaries for fulltime pre and postgraduate studies. Applications opened yesterday and close at the end of August. The initiative sponsors students interested in pursuing studies in the water sector.

Applicants can visit http://www. dws.gov.za/LearningA to find out which other careers are funded, and if they meet the qualifying requirements.

The department recognises that timeous education and training will help remedy the shortages of skills and rampant youth unemployment.