Soon after the democratic elections in 1994, the South African government declared 16 June as National Youth Day, and June as Youth Month. This was done in the hopes of ushering in a new era which fostered an environment where youth could thrive with opportunities to better themselves and those around them.
Unfortunately, due to various undeniable reasons, since then the youth unemployment rate has seen a nosedive, education is at its lowest level in decades, and there is a mutual feeling of dejectedness amongst the SA youth. This situation was wholly created by downright bad decision making and corruption.
One of the bread-and-butter sectors that contributed to the SA economy was the trades and apprenticeships. Prospective students were taken in by large engineering firms as an ‘appy’ under the mentorship of a journeyman, someone who possessed years or decades of experience in that field. The apprentice was then released on a six-month block cycle to pursue practical and theoretical courses at colleges and Technikons. This system worked incredibly well, with graduates receiving a fantastic theoretical insight into the field, and at the same time gaining invaluable practical knowledge which saw them being an asset to the company almost immediately after graduation. Companies, therefore, received a tangible benefit from the training programmes that they offered: they took on useful labour, while simultaneously receiving a tax benefit.
Why the government decided that this system had to be done away with is a mystery. But out it went, thereby providing a perfect demonstration of the old idiom ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.’ Tax incentives were removed, the tertiary institutions removed the block-release studying system in favour of hugely theoretically-based courses, and the youth have had to bear the brunt of this brainless stupidity for the past 20 years.
This year, National Youth Day and Youth Month were celebrated under the theme of ‘Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future’. I read this slogan with sad bemusement, given the fact that the current government continues to do nothing to alleviate the plight of the youth.
I do, however, believe that there is a light, albeit a rather dim one, at the end of the tunnel. I do see more and more private enterprises popping up offering practical training courses. All types of courses are catered for, but I am delighted to see private companies offering training on woodworking, plumbing, metalworking, electrical, and so on. What this country needs are young people who are useful and do not mind getting their hands dirty, not hundreds of young people with poorly obtained degrees and no prospect of a future.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the academic route. But I also know that:
1. Many professional sectors are saturated with graduates.
2. Much of our youth are studying towards a degree that they have no interest in, besides the fact they think it will provide some form of income security. There is no longer a passion in the choices that they make.
I say bring back the training colleges; provide useful vocational training for our youth; stop spreading the lie that a degree from a traditional university is the best option. Then we will collectively start to see an improvement. My only hope is that the government realises that this is an option and allows our youth a fighting chance at a better life.
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