Organisations have recognised the importance of continuous upskilling through courses and training for employees, particularly when it comes to key digital skills and integrating AI into organisational structures
short when it comes to preparing youth for this digital shift. While South Africa has made strides in increasing access to tertiary education—with universities like UJ growing their student population by 50% in just four years—we still face a critical challenge as students struggle to complete their qualifications. A 60% dropout rate in first year is a clear indication that we need to rethink our approach to youth empowerment through education. The reality is that a qualification rapidly loses value without
are waking up to these possibilities and starting to invest
practical experience. Our survey of 150 employers at
in AI upskilling to overcome challenges in these sectors
YES shows that two years of practical work experience is
and beyond.
valued almost equally to a three-year tertiary qualification highlighting the importance of programmes like YES in
Our mandate is clear. We must harness the enormous
preparing youth for the demands of the workplace beyond
potential of AI by addressing South Africa’s digital divide
tertiary education. This is not to diminish the importance
and upskilling our youth. This begins with providing essential
of formal education—universities play a crucial role in
digital infrastructure at a basic education level and building
developing critical thinking skills and providing deep
on these skills in universities and in the workplace to align
contextual understanding. However, the traditional model
with global standards.
of “get a degree and you’re set for life” is obsolete, particularly in the age of AI.
Although universities are producing highly skilled STEM graduates, the current state of youth unemployment in
Practical work experience that applies theoretical learning
South Africa shows that formal education is still falling
in real-world contexts is crucial for bridging the gap
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