The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) yearly acknowledges June 16th through its Youth Action for Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime program, which was created to address the challenges faced by our nation’s youth such as educational, environmental and employment development. South Africa currently has the highest unemployment rate in Africa for 2023, with 30% of the country’s labour force being unemployed. As discouraging as this may sound, there is still reason to be optimistic about the future, through strategies for improving youth inclusion and employment. National Debt Support discusses strategies to increase youth empowerment in ways that both businesses and young people of our nation can benefit. 

Employment versus Employability 

Many entry-level job opportunities offer little skills training or career development and are either casual or part-time, but require a minimum of three years experience which leaves youth with little to no real opportunities to gain the experience they require. Here’s how to potentially combat this trend: 

1. Entrepreneurship – With the right knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool in fighting youth unemployment, as it is about creating value in business solutions in methods that have not been done before. This kind of thinking should be encouraged by businesses and business owners, by giving employees an environment that inspires new ideas and the resources to implement them. Upskilling youth to adapt their approaches to different scenarios that are socio-economic, will not only benefit the business itself, but could help change the unemployment cycle long term. 
2. On-the-job training and learning – Young employees could benefit from this strategy and enforce long-term success of the business by growing the skills needed in the workforce of tomorrow. As daunting as working and training at the same time might sound, the practice encourages skills such as working well under pressure, critical thinking and problem solving; which ultimately creates work efficiency for both employee and business
3. Mentorship – From the perspective of leadership development, mentorship is beneficial to both senior and junior employees, as it promotes diversity in a business for problem solving and innovation. When mentors and students collaborate to share their ideas, experience and skills, businesses can benefit from fresh ideas and new perspectives while the youth can benefit from informed knowledge received from their mentor – this creates productivity in the work environment
4. Creating employability programmes – Young people are incredibly disadvantaged by the no-job no-experience cycle, as they continue to struggle with finding meaningful employment and even when they do, it is affected by lower-wages, substandard prospects and strained mental health. Employer-led programmes are a great way to develop pipelines for talent and prepare businesses for the future. 

How Businesses Can Benefit From Hiring Youth

Many businesses are not open to the idea of hiring youth due to persuasive stereotypes and narratives that they lack loyalty and are unmotivated (especially considering conversations around Gen Z), but there are many benefits that businesses can gain from this. Here are the two most important: 

1. Secure workforce for the future – Hiring young people is a cost-effective approach to develop a company or a business over time. Younger people have more willingness and capacity to learn than older people, with higher attitudes of optimism and motivation. This encourages a business’ talent pipeline and strengthens the company brand. 
2. Business Tax Aid – Did you know that businesses can receive a tax benefit for hiring young people? SME tax benefits offer an Employment Tax Incentive (ETI) that reduces an employer’s overall pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) contribution without interfering with an employee’s earnings. The ETI rewards businesses for hiring young people, and in return, they gain valuable experiences and make a living. 

Are you still unemployed?  

If you are still in the slug of applying for jobs and getting rejected, or a business owner looking for ways to expand and grow. Here are some ideas that can help get things going: 

1. Online Upskilling courses – Did you know that Google provides free online courses? There is a wide range of free online learning content that is curated to help kick-start your career or boost your business. You can make use of individual modules or end-to-end courses then attain a Google Certificate upon completion. 
2. Social Media – Social media has a huge presence in the employment and recruitment sector. If you enjoy and are skillful at using social media, use this as an opportunity to build a strong profile on platforms such as LinkedIn, PNet and Indeed to improve your employment prospects. LinkedIn can be used to make content to shine a light on your best skills. You will also get notifications from recruitment agencies looking for prospective candidates that fit their criteria
3. Network – Is there an industry or profession you are interested in? Start networking. To grow a network, you can join online forums and groups dedicated to the industry then offer to help others, answering questions and making contact with people. You will be the first to know of any upcoming jobs in the industry and have credible references or mentors. 

To put it simply and directly, youth are the future – not only for our country, but for the world. Employment opportunities provide more than experience and an income, but also teach the youth about things that matter, such as financial guidance, cost of living, debt in South Africa and money management. 

If you are struggling with debt and thinking about entering into debt review, National Debt Support is here to offer you non-judgmental debt advice and financial guidance. Request a free call back today with our understanding and caring team.