Young people are our assets and future dividends

By Professor Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) at the University of Pretoria (DP); Dr Olebogeng Selebi, Deputy Director of UP’s Centre for the Future of Work; and Dr Jessika Bohlmann, Research Specialist, Office of the Dean of the Faculty of EMS

In 2014, the united nations declared 15 July w orld y outh Skills Day as a reminder of the importance of ‘equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship’.

In South Africa, nearly 70% of young people under 30 are unemployed. this is a ticking time bomb that affects most African countries.

Yet, rather than being viewed as a statistic, our youth can be seen as an energetic ‘asset’ worth investing in. we need to explore what can be done regarding education, employment and empowerment so that young people can play a meaningful role in the South African economy.

While the international Labour Organisation refers to ‘youth’ or ‘young” as people aged between 14 and 24 years, in Africa, the definition needs to be broadened to 34 years. this is because the education systems in most African countries face more obstacles than in developed countries, leading to slower entry into the labour market.

Many young people see opportunities for employment in the green sector (notably in renewable energy and smart agriculture), the blue economy, the creative sector, and the digital world, where they perceive the most prospects for entrepreneurship. they also see opportunities in the care sector. Many African youth in the care sector are taking up positions in the Global North, despite there being so many people who need care here. This is an area that requires more input from the government.

University of Pretoria (UP) research reveals many shifts in the skills needed for the future of work and the future workplace.

Millennials and Generation Z have grown up in an era where technological advancements are taking place at a rapid pace. they are acutely aware of technology as a tool for employment and self-employment. if technologies such as the much-anticipated Apple Vision Pro are harnessed correctly, they can create many job opportunities in the virtual reality environment. Several jobs and industries have developed through digital technologies to create digital content. it is a whole new sector, and so many jobs exist now that didn’t exist before, such as the job of a youtuber or influencer.

Future job market

How do we ensure we are skilling our African population for the new jobs being created? Are we preparing our youth for the future job market, focusing on skills-readiness to cope with the technological transition? As universities, we are in the perfect space to figure out what the skills of the future will be and to educate our young people accordingly.

As part of the University’s Digital transformation Strategy launched in June 2023, UP has invested in robots, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to increasingly offer our students immersive, 21st-century learning experiences that align with the Fourth industrial Revolution (4IR).

At UP’s Centre for the Future of work, a revised curriculum is being developed to align with the needs of the new work environment. we will be working faculty by faculty to ensure that our students are skilled for the future. Our country is earmarked for significant upscaling in digitalisation, which cannot happen in a vacuum. Digitalisation needs to be enabled at every level.

The need for innovation hubs

Innovation hubs are essential in reimagining how young people can become sustainable entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurialism is a core focus for universities today. we’ve seen too many startups fail within the first three years. We must ensure their survival to grow into small, medium or large enterprises. Public-private partnerships and networks are indispensable to enable this.

In September 2023, UP unveiled the revamped Mamelodi Business Hub (MBH) launched in 2022 with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and PwC. The MBH seeks to build communities for the future. In this instance, to be a catalyst in township revival and enhancement, based on entrepreneurial development and social impact.

The hub focuses on introducing new 4IR technologies via its Makerspace design lab, skills development, co-creating innovative products and services for young entrepreneurs, and merging the needs of the micro-business environment in Mamelodi with skills development.

On UP’s Hatfield campus, an assessment was introduced into the Business Strategy Module for third-year BCom students. it requires them to develop an innovative business concept and present a strategy to get it off the ground. Students are encouraged to submit the most viable concepts to our campus technology and business incubator, TuksNovation, where they are assisted in developing their ideas into actual businesses. One of the submitted projects focused on fly ash, a by-product of burning coal, which South Africa has in vast amounts. The students used fly ash to create a viable form of cement for the construction industry.

In addition, several students from various faculties entered their business ideas into the sixth BRICS Young Innovator Prize – an important platform for young people to showcase their innovation talents and strengthen exchanges and collaborations between the BRICS countries.

It is imperative that South Africa consistently encourages innovation and collaboration, including public-private partnerships and calls to action, as we need to keep working on making inroads into youth employment and commit to the development of necessary skills. t his has to start during the primary school years.

In partnership with UNICEF and the Department of Basic Education (DBE), UP is benchmarking the current basic and higher education system against the skills we will need for the future to develop the skills that the DBE needs to integrate for learners and students. UNICEF’s role in South Africa is to ensure that no child is left behind, and it supports the South African government and our communities in improving education, healthcare and child protection.

We cannot assume that young people can take care of themselves. the social grant for children ends at age 18, and millions of our young people have no prospects. the Extended Public Works Programme offers interim employment, but is temporary and does not constitute sustainable work. we must focus on a long-term solution and invest in our young people to reap positive dividends in the future and boost the economic prospects of our future generation. it is a massive opportunity for our country and continent.