In an ever-changing, tough job market, ‘After School Programmes’ across the country are holding down the fort to help young South Africans level the playing field and access opportunities!
South Africa (16 October 2024) — The pressure of matric finals’ is weighted enough as it is. But it’s also one of many other pressures young South Africans face today. At the top of the pressure list is the big question: ‘What happens next?’ To which an infamously tough job market in our country stares back, often blankly.
Inflation, a recovering post-Covid market, technological advances replacing traditional jobs and a multitude of other reasons have all contributed to the bleakness of the job market for young people.
And the evidence is in the stats and social landscape of our country. South Africa has a ridiculously high unemployment rate of 32.9%. An under-resourced school system that doesn’t focus enough on bridging educational gaps that are often very wide due to underprivileged circumstances and, of course, the disproportional spread of opportunities.
But in the midst of the bleak picture is a light with huge potential to expand. That light lies in After-School Programmes (ASP) that are emerging as something of a hopeline for thousands of South Africa’s most vulnerable youth; providing them with imperative upskilling measures!
This year, the fifth annual Lights On After School campaign was launched; a campaign that’s about sharing and showcasing what ASPs are capable of. Led by non-profit The Learning Trust in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport Youth Office, ASPs are proving to be a source of empowerment in the face of the tough job market; all while equipping future generations with resources to become adults they are proud of.
Here’s How ASPs Help
Critical Intervention
“ASPs act as critical interventions that can safeguard South Africa’s youth against significant barriers to economic participation. These programmes are stepping in to equip learners with digital literacy, technical skills and critical soft skills like problem-solving and emotional intelligence to thrive in a future workforce,” explains Charlene Petersen Voss, the Executive Director at the Learning Trust.
A Bridge for New Opportunities
While ASPs can be a bridge for educational gaps, they also act as a path for future opportunities largely through mentorship.
“The ASP sector is essential in levelling the playing field by providing access to mentorship, job shadowing, and other opportunities that are typically out of reach for marginalised youth,” Charlene says.
For Sophumelela Ketelo, the Chairperson of the Sophumelela Youth Development Programme, an ASP in the Eastern Cape, it’s a matter of meeting young people where they’re at and bridging off from that place.
Sophumelela says that he doesn’t blame the youth for being underprepared for the ever-changing job market.
“We often expect learners to be ready for the workplace while treating them like children, which delays their growth and readiness. In some cases, everything is done for them, making it difficult for them to appreciate the efforts of those supporting them. After school prgroammes are essential in adressing this gap, offering more than just academic support. They help build the confidence, literacy and life skills that learners need to succeed in an ever-changing world,” he says.
Guiding the Youth
ASP’s roles are heavily to do with guiding young people, especially those who cannot afford tertiary education, as Louise Retief, Programme Manager for the Rogz Academy shares. Rogz, who focus on Youth Development largely through its YearBeyond Programme in partnership with the Boost Africa Foundation, have been a part of helping guide many young people toward new avenues of hope.
The YearBeyond Programme helps Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) members of the youth with over 3500 opportunities annually. The youth are then able to support over 60,000 learners across the Eastern and Western Cape.
Expanding Access
Further opportunities for youth are created by The Learning Trust’s Catch-up Coalition, which forms part of the Social Employment Fund (SEF). Funded by the Public Employment Stimulus (PES) through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the SEF addresses both unemployment and education at the same time by employing young people in roles that directly enhance educational outcomes.
Through partnerships with over 50 community-based organisations, SEF has helped create more than 10,000 paid work opportunities, benefiting over 180,000 children and youth!
“In the last year of SEF, we have seen 52% of youth exiting to permanent employment, with 44% pursuing further studies,” says Petersen Voss.
“We continue to advocate for government funding for initiatives like the Social Employment Fund and National Youth Service, which not only creates job opportunities and workplace experience for young people but also addresses our education crisis.”
You can find out more about The Learning Trust here.
Sources: Supplied; The Learning Trust
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