Youth Policies, Institutions and Legislative Instruments
National Youth Development Act (2008):
The Act makes provisions for the establishment of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA): This is an entity having resonance with youth development in South Africa. The Act also provides for the functions and objectives; management and governance; regulation of staff and financial affairs; and administration of funds in the NYDA.
National Youth Development Agency:
The NYDA is tasked with initiating, designing, co-ordinating, evaluating and monitoring, and providing oversight to all programs aimed at integrating youth; developing and integrating Youth Development Plan and Strategy (IYDS); developing guidelines for the implementation of an Integrated National Youth Development Policy and making recommendations to the President; guiding efforts and facilitating economic participation and empowerment, and the achievement of education and training; partnering and assisting organs of state, private sector and non-governmental organisations on initiatives directed at employment and skills development; initiating programmes directed at poverty alleviation, urban and rural development and the combating of crime, substance abuse and social decay amongst youth; establishing annual national priority programs in respect of youth development; and undertaking to promote the interests of youth, particularly young people with disabilities.
National Youth Policy (20092014).
This is aimed at closing identified gaps, addressing challenges and recommending new measures to improve and accelerate the implementation of youth policy under the following four pillars – education, health and wellbeing, economic participation and social cohesion.
Integrated Youth Development Strategy (2011).
The IYDS strategy identified challenges and opportunities for youth as identified by a crosssection of stakeholders, including professional bodies, government departments, civil society, NGOs and youth formations. This also involved drawing information from various domestic and international instruments, public and research reports.
The objective of which was the development of an integrated strategy that responds to the economic structure as discussed in key national policy frameworks including among others;
The IYDS strategy identified challenges and opportunities for youth as identified National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF), Industrial Policy
Action Plan (IPAP),
National Growth Path
(NGP), National Skills Development-South Africa (NSD-SA), National Youth Policy (NYP), and NSDS III.
National Skills Development Strategy III.
Aims to increase access to high quality and relevant education and training and skills development opportunities. These include workplace learning and experience, to enable effective participation in the economy and society.
Employment Tax Incentive Act, 2013:
(“Youth Wage Subsidy”). The objective of this is to encourage employment creation and growth (especially in relation to young work seekers), and is a way of sharing the cost of expanding job opportunities with the private sector.
Youth Employment Accord:
Seeks to improve education and skilling of young people, helping them to find jobs or start their own businesses. As part of the accord, government commits itself to increasing the number of people employed in the public sector, while certain industries have set youth development targets. All parties (government, organised labour, organised business, and community and youth formations) agree to implement a coordinated Youth Employment Strategy (YES).