Women in the built sector
TRAINING INITIATIVES FOR A NEW WAVE OF YOUNG SKILLED INDIVIDUALS
By Mamiki Matlawa , managing director of Qunu Workforce
According to Stats SA , there is a staggering unemployment rate of 63.2 % among the youth , accounting for individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 .
As the emerging workforce , this age bracket of individuals finds themselves in the difficult position of struggling to secure employment due to the economic downturn and their lack of experience .
Now that the new academic year will soon be upon us , the fate of the matriculant ’ s is even more distressing as not everyone has the means to explore tertiary education options . This has clearly highlighted an urgent need for South Africa to establish a workforce that can gain skills and training without the prerequisite of a degree .
Temporary employment service ( TES ) providers can have a significant impact here , already positioned to provide vital training and skills development to the youth , along with learnership placements .
EMERGING WORKFORCE STRUGGLES A staggering two million jobs were lost in 2020 after the nationwide economic shutdown , which paints a further bleak picture moving forward . It can be incredibly tough seeking employment with only a basic education and no tertiary qualifications or skills training . While many did not achieve the marks necessary to even qualify for tertiary education placement , many others lack the funding and means to attend university .
A TWO-FOLD SOLUTION Times have changed . Job seekers can no longer pick up a newspaper to find local vacancies and expect to be employed . Today , the youth have to get creative in their approach to the job market . With so many individuals actively seeking employment , it is important to do everything in their power to stand out from the rest . From the TES provider perspective , we need to shift our focus from qualifications to start looking at the individual - skills that can be taught , passion to work and enthusiasm to learn is what makes a person stand out from the crowd with good potential to hire .
Qunu Workforce
As our country seeks to begin economic recovery in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic , it is critical for our youth to take any opportunity to gain valuable work experience along with participating in multi-skilled training and refinement programmes .
As a starting point , TES is an ideal solution that can reduce the youth unemployment rate through placements , learnerships and skills programmes in the business and technical sectors . Other industries that are likely to benefit from TES by placing younger people in entry-level jobs include retail and e-commerce , engineering , construction , contact centres , telecoms , warehousing , and logistics .
MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL ARRANGEMENT Temporary employment solutions are not just for job seekers , as these services can be of great benefit to businesses and sectors currently faced with financial constraints . Many companies are currently hesitant to hire new people on a permanent basis because there ’ s still so much uncertainty in the future .
Mamiki Matlawa , managing director of Qunu Workforce says that it is critical for the youth as the emerging workforce to gain critical skills under the current and medium-term future of the South African economic recovery .
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I January 2022 51