Problematizing the relation between youth unemployment and skills development
Date
2018
Authors
Mpoza, Petunia Mbali
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Abstract
This research report addresses a major problem in South African society: to-day of the 36 million people in the working age population, 27% are officially unemployed. Many of them ae young people which is catastrophic for the country. The report problematizes the relation between skills development and youth unemployment in contemporary South Africa. This relation is part of the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality in South Africa which are not new and have persisted over time. The main sources are an extensive literature review, semi-structured interviews with key informants that included the Student Representative Council (SRC) members as well as youth from the Molapo College a campus of the South West Gauteng College (SWGC) to illustrate the experiences of young, black people, participant observation and consultation with youth organisations and formations. Primary source of data, documentary sources include existing research statistics, labour data, journals, press reports and newspapers online. The following key themes emerged: 1. Youth and unemployment 2. The education system 3. The nature of the South African labour market 4. Skills training 5. Social programmes to address the relation between youth unemployment and skills. Youth skills development programmes and policies These themes are contextualised in the current debate on the causes of consequences of the high levels of inequality, poverty and unemployment in South Africa (Terreblanche, 2012; Bond, 2004; Marais, 2011; Habib, 2013). In problematizing the relation between youth Unemployment and skills development the following findings emerged from this study: 1. The current focus on a shortage of skills is not the main cause of youth unemployment, the problem is the structure of the economy and continuing racialized inequality in the society. 2. While there is a strong need for skills, the labour market is not creating and absorbing young people for employment. 3. The official emphasis and programmes on skill creation such as Molapo College, is not succeeding in creating employment for the youth.
Description
Research Report Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in the Faculty of Humanities, University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, March 2018
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Mpoza, Petunia Mbali (2018) Problematizing the relation between youth unemployment and skills development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/27101>