ATI responds to
Ramaphosa’s YES initiative
The future of South Africa’s youth relies heavily on young people’s
readiness to enter the job market. The Artisan Training Institute
(ATI) takes a critical look at the need for quality skills to ensure
the success of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s new YES initiative.
The Oxford Dictionary gave life to an old phrase when it
announced its 2017 Word of the Year: youthquake. Flamboyant
Vogue editor Diana Vreeland first coined the phrase in
1965 during the rise of counterculture at a time when the
marginalised were claiming back their voices. Oxford defines
the phrase as, “A significant cultural, political, or social
change arising from the actions or influence of young people.”
In staying with the Zeitgeist, shortly after he took the reins,
Ramaphosa took quick action to address one of South Africa’s
most pressing socio-economic challenges: the issue of youth
unemployment. The launch of the Youth Employment Service (YES)
recently, signifies major progress towards helping South Africa’s
youth obtain work placement. The revolutionary YES campaign
promises to create between 300 000 and half a million jobs for
young people each year.
YES – AN INCENTIVE FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO
PLACE YOUTH
According to Sean Jones, managing director of the Artisan
Training Institute (ATI), YES is one of the first employment
programmes in South Africa to proactively incentivise businesses
to employ young people.
“The youth are the most vulnerable in the skills economy. Most are
willing to work, but their opportunities for employment are limited.
Basic education does not adequately prepare young people for
workplaces. Employers need fundamental skills that bring about
workplace readiness,” he says.
The YES initiative creates opportunities for businesses to respond
to this challenge through a programme that has been smartly
designed to everyone’s advantage. One of the most encouraging
elements of the YES initiative is the possibility of partnership, says
Jones. It calls for government, labour, civil society, and young people
to work together to fight South Africa’s unemployment crisis.
The initiative introduces new youth employment B-BBEE
recognition and allows businesses that meet YES targets to
improve their B-BBEE scorecard. To encourage the demand-side
of job creation, companies qualify for tax incentives when they
employ black youth aged 18–29.
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NEWS
Businesses that participate in the project should establish
one-year paid positions for youngsters. Those businesses that cannot
employ young people internally, have the option of sponsoring their
salary for a year in a small to medium enterprise.
QUALITY TRAINING EQUALS BETTER CHANCE
OF PLACEMENT
“A young person increases his or her chance of future employment
threefold with only one year of work experience, a CV, and an
employment letter,” says Tashmia Ismail-Saville, CEO of YES.
Therefore, the private sector can contribute significantly to the South
African economy by placing youth through the YES programme.
“However, companies do take a risk when they employ a young
person without any previous work experience or skills,” says
Jones. Having workplace exposure coupled with quality technical
training reduces this exposure for companies.
According to Linda Kromjong, the secretary general of
the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), degree
apprenticeships — a new education approach — are becoming
increasingly relevant in dealing with youth unemployment,
combining skills development with job placement. Jones reiterates,
“Degree programmes are becoming apprenticeship-based. The
status quo is no longer that your kids rush to university and simply
step into a job. Practical skills are critical in ensuring job readiness.”
Degree apprenticeships are making waves in the United
Kingdom. Employers, universities, and professional bodies
work together to ensure the youth’s employability through
a programme that combines university studies with part-time
employment.
Although degree apprenticeships have not reached the South
African shores, the YES initiative offers a similar opportunity, albeit
at a more basic level.
In a time of a bellowing ‘youthquake’ in South Africa, businesses
are being offered a chance to make a difference. Training our youth
and providing them with on-the-job experience to increase their
employability makes commercial sense and will lead to positive
social change for South Africa. PA
January 2019 Volume 25 I Number 1