Written by: Thumeka Qupuna
Despite the many interventions initiated by the government, business and civil society to address youth unemployment, six out of ten young South Africans between the ages of 15 and 35 are not economically active, according to the StatsSA's Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Nearly two million young jobseekers remain discouraged, having given up hope of finding a job. Transferable skills remain a key determinant for the successful employment of youth.
A lack of education and training is considered the root cause of unemployment in South Africa. This can be attributed to a massive skills mismatch and lack of knowledge on how to write a professional CV and personal branding. Secondary and Tertiary institutions do not provide enough postgraduate guidance. Students are not prepared to start from the bottom and work their way up.
The South African Education Project (SAEP) launched its popular Digital literacy programme for High school learners aimed to improve economic participation, accelerate job market readiness and enable learners to pursue improved employment prospects post-matric through digital-led transformation and digital literacy in schools.
[17 February ] Personal Branding workshop
The organisation also hosted an inspiring and motivational workshop goal-setting and CV writing workshop for the WESSA interns completing their internship in March. SAEP’s Head of Communication Mr Shane Everts facilitated the workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to outline clear, practical goals, strengths and skills new job market entrees can strive towards. Interns learned about common CV mistakes and how to avoid them as well as how to apply marketing principles to tailor their personal brand. Practical tips and tools were shared to craft their individual targeted CV that differentiates and stands out. The enormous demand for the workshop was clear and from the preliminary results of those who participated in the workshop, the majority demonstrated keen interest and their eagerness to know more.
Feedback from participants.
Amanda Msolo, intern.
Sizwe Vakaza , intern.
"The personal branding workshop was very helpful in equipping me with skills for job hunting and career advancement. Thank you to Shane. "Sanelisiwe Mlaba , intern.
[20 February] Digital Literacy.
South African Education Project (SAEP) pioneered the digital literacy skills course for Sixty Grade 12 learners from Sophumelela Secondary School in Samora Machel. This Digital literacy initiative will attribute towards alleviating the economic burden and promote access to economic opportunities for employment, learnership / paid internships as well as improve prospects for admission to tertiary education.
Upon completion of the training, learners who have fully committed to the SAEP Digital Literacy Programme will receive a certificate of attendance and those learners who meet the qualifying criteria and standards will receive a SETA accredited certificate once deemed competent, following their successful portfolio of evidence submission.
Comments
“One of the first things that impressed me was how well and uniformly each one of the learners was dressed. They take great pride in their school uniform and it conveys an impression of belonging, and ownership of their brand.” said Master Grade IT Managing Member and Owner, Gabriel Verhoef .
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Mr. Shane Everts, Head of Communications and Fundraising, South African Education Project (SAEP) 082 537 8721, shane@saep.org
Technical Education-related queries: Mr. Donavan Fullard, Chief Executive Officer, South African Education Project (SAEP) donavan@saep.org
MORE ABOUT SAEP A multi-cohort programme promoting access and better education outcomes among children and young adolescents in marginalised communities. www.saep.org
References
2 Maluleke, R. (2022). StatsSA Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) Q1:2022. [online] Available at: https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/Presentation%20QLFS%20Q1%202022.pdf [Accessed 12 Oct. 2022].
3 The Mail & Guardian. (2022). How to bring young people into the South African economy. [online] Available at: https://mg.co.za/opinion/2022-08-03-how-to-bring-young-people-into-the-south-african-economy/?utm_source=m%26g&utm_medium=m%26g&utm_campaign=op-ed [Accessed 12 Oct. 2022].