After reviewing a number of graduate opportunities and
programmes around the country and particularly focusing on the Gauteng region.
Had noticed that the Johannesburg region had invited close to 500 graduates who
have participated in the Youth Career Development Programme since 2008 and gave
them opportunities in the job market at various departments within the region,
giving the young graduates experience in sports and recreation, administration
and capital projects amongst a few, which is an overwhelming experience for the
graduates and quite a big step for the City of Johannesburg and moving towards
an active development plan for the unemployment pandemic in Gauteng.
I certainly was moved by the departments step to motivating
the graduates to look way beyond getting employed, though we know that even
with a 3 year degree qualification, it is still hard to find employment and
where ever you turn to as a graduate (whether a Matric or Tertiary graduate) you
are faced with an institution willing to enhance your skills but not offer any
source of financial support which is
what the youth really want. The youth want jobs, they want financial security,
They go to school so that they are not lingered by poverty, they believe and
know that without an education one will not have a prosperous future, they want to move out of their parents home
who initially put them through school to get a qualification with the hope that
they will come back home and provide financial assistance to the family so they
don’t sink deeper into poverty, the moment that the graduate comes home without having acquired
any experience or opportunity in the job market... it is then a struggle to get
into the job market after that.
With that being said the graduates were encouraged to look
beyond getting employed but rather into
being multi skilled, and were mentored to considering volunteerism in order to acquire more experience
and to become entreprneurens who would create many jobs for young people.
Which
make me happy because this is the initial step into social entrepreneurship,
them working towards the creation of jobs for the youth signifies that they
will have identified the problem pertaining to it which is the staggeringly
high youth unemployment rate in South Africa, let alone the unemployment rate
amongst the youth being the highest in Gauteng, nationally. Identifying a problem,
coming up with ideas to deal with it and of the ideas coming up with an
innovative solution that will best fix the problem. In that way impact is made
through implementation and results are achieved. All together having identified and addressed
the social need, Which leads to an introduction of Project IMPACT! which is one of the initiatives that aim to
tackle pressing challenges through impact at The Young Social Entrepreneurs
Academy. The graduates get to experience Project IMPACT which is all about ensuring
that tertiary graduates have valuable work experience and skills to secure job
opportunities by contributing to the development of their communities, by providing
experience for the graduates through intensive skills development training
focusing on personal and professional aspects and then allow them to engage in
career-orientated volunteerism. Graduates thereafter not only gain valuable work experience but also
contribute to the development of their communities. They learn and enhance their
current skills, making them multi-skilled and able to perform various tasks and
activities, further more have the potential of starting their own social or business
enterprises after the graduate programme.
Community Development’s
Executive Director Dudu Maseko shared with graduates at the reception on how
volunteerism has opened doors for her. And that’s exactly what Project IMPACT! At
The Young Social Entrepreneurs Academy - YSEA exists for...”opening doors of opportunities
through career-orientated volunteerism”
Read more on the Cities report on the Graduate Programme: http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8698:citys-intern-graduates-ready-to-enter-the-job-market&catid=88:news-update&Itemid=266#ixzz2YEMhdAmp
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