YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: PRESENTATION ON YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT BY NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON LABOUR

02 June 2006

 

OVERVIEW

1. Role of NYC, UYF and SAYC defined

2. Past decade achievements

3. Legislative framework

4. Youth participation in the economic mainstream 5. Barriers to youth employment

6. Proposed areas for intervention

7. Current Programmes (Work in progress)

8. Challenges to current interventions

9. Recommendations


The NYC

The NYC is a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament (National Youth Commission Act No 19 Of 1996) to fulfill the following objectives:

 

·         Coordinate and develop national youth policy

 

·         Advocate for youth development in government

 

·         Coordinate and monitor issues of youth development in govt

 

·         To promote uniformity of approach by ALL organs of state, to matters relating to or involving the youth

 

·         To coordinate the activities of various Provincial and Local govt institutions involved in youth matters and to link those activities to the integrated national youth policy

 

·         To develop recommendations relating to any other matters which may affect the youth


Umsobomvu Youth Fund

 

·         Established through the Demutualization Act to promote youth entrepreneurship

 

·         Main role of UYF is to finance skills development and employment creation for the youth


South African Youth Council.

 

·         Independent body representing youth formations in civil society

 

·         ensures participation of-young people in national development & reconstruction initiatives aimed at young people


Past Decade Achievements

·         Setting up of appropriate institutional mechanisms Provincial Youth Commissions

 

·         Establishment of SAYC

 

·         The adoption of the National Youth Development Policy Framework 2002 - 2007

 

·         Establishment of the UYF

 

·         Establishment of NSFAS

 

·         NYS policy and implementation plan


Legislative Framework

 

·         National Youth Commission Act

 

·         Labour Relations Act

 

·         Employment Equity Act

 

·         Basic Conditions of Employment

 

·         National Skills Development Act

 

·         Preferential Procurement Framework

 

·         Small Business Act


Youth participation in the economic mainstream of the country

 

·         Youth constitutes 75% of the unemployed people in SA (Labour force market survey of March 2005 by Statistics South Africa). This against the increased student intake at institutions of higher learning and high numbers of unemployed graduates

 

·         Youth economic participation is characterised by 3 categories:


(i) Skills level of youth


(ii) Opportunities to create youth employment


(ii) Opportunities for funding youth driven ventures


Barriers to Youth Employment

 

·         Lack of adequate and required skill (often higher institutions of learning do not adequately prepare young people for the demands of the labour market)

 

·         The relationship between economic growth and the needs of the labour market

 

·         Lack of support to enable young people to create sustainable businesses

 

·         Lack of access to funding to start youth owned businesses

 

 

Proposed Areas for Intervention

·         Education and skills development (Learnerships)

 

·         Public Private Partnerships

 

·         Youth Business Development (Entrepreneurial development)

 

·         Access to funding (business start-up) and support (mentoring)


Current Programmes (Work in progress)


Specific Interventions towards achieving youth employment:

 

·         National Youth Service Programme

 

·         Youth Economic Participation

 

·         Young Farmers Programme

 

·         Supporting interventions:

 

·         Youth Information Services

 

·         Local Government Programme (Capacity building, Advocacy & Research)


Challenges to Current Intervention

 

·         Learnerships (Enacted through the Skills development Act, aimed at integrating theoretical learning and obtaining sufficient work experience)

 

        Currently large numbers of young people are enrolled in leanership programmes through various SETA's but there aren't clearly identified exit opportunities strategies

 

·         NYS (promotes the involvement of young people in activities which provide benefits to the community while developing the abilities of young people through service and learning)

 

·         Lack of exit strategies where young people gain employment or go for further training

 

·         Expanded Public Works Programme (Labour intensive Programme aimed at the creation of short to medium term employment and cultivation of entrepreneurs)

 

        Employment is short term and hence therefore not sustainable

 

·         Youth business development (UYF established to promote and finance youth entrepreneurial development and skills development}

 

        Large numbers of young people have not gained access to funding.

 

·         ASGISA (is an interventionist plan aimed at bolstering economic growth Ensuring the reduction of unemployment and poverty by 50% by the year 2014).

 

·         Consists of a limited youth specific set of interventions intended to capacitate young people and increase their employability and their options to engage in self-employment

 

Recommendations

 

·         Development of a comprehensive economic empowerment strategy for young people

 

·         Access to funding to start youth owned businesses

 

·         Appropriate and relevant training to prepare young people for the demands of the labour market through various higher institutions of learning, FET colleges and SETA's

·         Development of coordinated internship programmes to address lack of skills through the involvement of government, parastatals, development finance institutions and NGO's

 

·         A clear funding support mechanism for FET institutions

 

·         A clear implementation plan for the youth specific proposals contained within the ASGISA framework


WORK WITH YOUTH, BUILD THE FUTURE NOW!!