Employability of Youth Focus Project level 1 graduates within the wholesale and retail sector, Western Cape

Abstract

The realisation of the potential of South African youth is essential for their well-being as well as for the country, hence the urgent need to afford them the necessary opportunities to broaden their horizons and explore entrepreneurship opportunities. South Africa has been grappling with a surge in the number of youth entering the labour market, combined with the reality that the unemployment rate is one of the highest in developing countries. Youth unemployment prohibits the younger generation from gaining an opportunity to sustain themselves and, thereby contribute meaningfully to the development of a nation. The Youth Focus Project (YFP) is a unique Western Cape Provincial (WC) learnership programme that was introduced by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) in partnership with the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&R SETA) and Public Technical and Vocational Education Training Colleges (TVETs) to address the problem of ‘at-risk learners’. Through this project youth were given a second chance to study further with the aim of finding a job, thus, substituting a life that is very likely destined for poverty and crime, for a better and fulfilling one. It is on this premise that this research study aimed to determine the extent to which the YFP learnership programme had empowered its Level 1 graduates with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes to obtain employment in the wholesale and retail (W&R) sector. The researcher used an interpretive phenomenological approach wherein a descriptive case study was adopted in order to study the phenomenon of YFP L1 graduates’ employability. A mixed method research approach was deemed appropriate for this study. Purposive sampling was chosen, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 60 YFP L1 graduates from the 2015, 2016 and 2018 cohorts. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 27 and thematic analysis were the strategies used to analyse and interpret respectively the quantitative and qualitative data collected through the questionnaire. The research findings revealed that a significant number of the YFP L1 graduates were unemployed because they were still studying owing to their decision to continue developing their skills. Furthermore, the research revealed that there was generally a lack of jobs available within the labour market, a situation that was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher recommended improvements to the YFP L1 curriculum whereby there should be an appropriate combination of theoretical subjects and practical skills to enhance the graduates’ employability within the W&R sector. Youth skills development directly correlates with the SA National Skills Development strategy; hence, it is imperative that the programmes offered significantly help in the eradication of both unemployment and poverty within South Africa.

The study suggests that YFP L1 curriculum improvements that respond to the industry demands may assist SA youth in acquiring the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable them to find employment within the W&R sector. In addition, the findings suggest that better planning by policy makers may be vital in directing public funds towards effective youth skills development programmes.