Deputy Minister for Social Development, Dr. Jean Benjamin is launching the status of youth report detailing the achievements, challenges and implications facing the youth. The research was commissioned by Umsobomvu Youth Fund, and conducted by the Human Science Research Council in 2003/04 focusing on the challenges facing youth in South Africa.
The focus of the report is the status of youth in the first decade of democracy with an emphasis on key socio-economic areas, including economic participation, education and skills development, and poverty, health and well-being and social integration and civic engagement.
Umsobomvu CEO, Malose Kekana, says, ‘The report is important to youth empowerment and transformation. It is relevant to decision makers including, civil society, government, private sector and youth development practitioners working on the youth development sector.’
The report findings are that unemployment is arguably South Africa’s major scourge with black youth being the most affected. Government’s plan to halve unemployment by 2014 talks to this problems and the recommendation by the report to focus strongly on young people, as they represent 70% of the unemployed population.
The recommendation is for the participation of youth in economic activities through macro-economic interventions such as encouragement of foreign direct investment that has potential to benefit young people.
Other interventions the report recommends include entreprenuership training such as those offered by the Umsobomvu Youth Fund; for example the youth co-operatives. These programmes should be strengthened further to promote youth economic activity.
On education and skills development, the report states that the country inherited education and training systems skewed by racial inequality. It acknowledges that every effort must be made to retain young people in schools, where good education is offered and efforts are being made to dissuade them from dropping out before completing their secondary school. 'Quality education should reflect contemporary requirements in the world of work. This includes a holistic approach to education that includes technical skills, life skills and preparation for work.'
On health and well-being, the social rather than narrow definition of medical definition should be explored. Issues that need to be tackled include, STDs, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, suicide, disability and crime and violence.
On social integration and civic engagement, there is an acknowledgment on the role of the youth in dismantling apartheid. However, there is equally a low participation of youth in organisational participation during the democratic dispensation.
The report recommends that opportunities should be made available for young people to affirm their worth and draw on the resources of the cultures with which they identify.
Kekana concluded by saying, “These life skills should be stressed within the framework of a holistic approach to the development of young people. The focus on education and job creation needs to be increased to discourage young people from adopting risky patterns of behaviour such as crime, substance abuse, and potential exposure to HIV/AIDS and unplanned pregnancies.”
