Matriculants’ watershed

THERE will be joy for some matriculants, heartbreak for others, and depending on their marks and whether they can afford it, many will be admitted to a tertiary institution to begin a new life on campus as they chase a degree or diploma to prepare for the world of work.

Reality will soon set in for many of them. Unemployment has soared in the past decade, sitting at almost 28%, making it harder today to get a job than it was in the last 12 months. According to Statistics South Africa, young people aged between 15 and 34 bear the brunt of the scourge of joblessness – believed to be sitting at 38.6% for their age group.

Added to this, graduate unemployment was at 7.3% in the first quarter of last year, according to Equal Education. What this means is that a qualification is no guarantee that one will get a job, especially in a depressed job market where companies that are laying off staff will look for experience if they decide to hire.

This is the reality that lies ahead. But there is no need to despair; we hope 2018 will be a better year for our country and the economy, and that it will mark a turning point, with many of our socioeconomic issues receiving more attention.

We need to address the issue of youth unemployment if we want a better tomorrow for future generations. The world over, governments that failed to address youth unemployment have found themselves caught up in revolutions, like we saw with the Arab Spring and the unrest in Brazil.

Research has shown the benefits for countries that focus on youth development, and we hope the new ANC leadership will get out of the perpetual succession wars and concentrate on making sure the governing party puts the country first and tackles youth unemployment. The call for free education is a start but it must be backed by action.

The generation of current leaders dare not let our youth down.