Bias for academic qualifications over vocational training has led to an undersupply of skills in crucial areas such as equipping people to become artisans and entrepreneurs.
Statistics South Africa didn’t pull any punches in its analysis of the plight of young people after releasing the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter 2025.
The survey found that 46.1% of people in the 15 to 34 age group, and 62.4% of those aged 15 to 24, are out of work. The statistics agency said: “For many young South Africans, landing a job is more than just a milestone — it is a crucial step towards economic independence and inclusion. Yet for millions, this first step remains out of reach.”
The analysis looked at unemployment rates among young people with different types of education and said they illustrated “the protective effect of higher education in a tight labour market”. Even so, 23.9% of university graduates and 37.3% of young people with vocational or technical training do not have jobs.
While higher education clearly confers an advantage, these are alarming statistics and commentators speak with one voice about the reasons for the high youth unemployment. Factors they point to include:
- A mismatch between educational outcomes and market needs. The latest list of occupations in high demand from the department of higher education puts numbers to this, pointing out that more than half of workers are in jobs for which they do not have the correct education level, and a third are in jobs that don’t match their highest qualification.
- Under-investment in vocational training. The cultural bias for academic qualifications over vocational training has led to an undersupply of skills in crucial areas. The department list illustrates this, with screeds of positions for artisans at NQF level 4 (the equivalent of matric), such as welders, plumbers, tour guides and chefs.
- Lack of practical experience. Stats SA’s analysis crystallises the issue: “Without experience, youth struggle to get hired — yet without being hired, they cannot gain experience. This cycle of exclusion continues to fuel long-term unemployment and stalls skills development at a critical stage of life.”
- Deficiencies in foundational skills such as written and verbal communication; problem-solving and critical thinking; digital literacy and learning agility.
- Poor “soft skills” such as teamwork, adaptability and emotional intelligence.
Systemic challenge
So much for the problem, which is about as serious an economic crisis as it’s possible to imagine. What about solutions?
It’s clear that the education system faces a systemic challenge in its ability to adjust curricula in a way that prepares young people for the world of work, whether that means employment or entrepreneurialism.
In response, the department of basic education is pursuing “curriculum strengthening”. It’s all about equipping learners with the competencies they will need to find jobs and emphasises the development of skills, values and character. The “competency framework” covers curricula, teacher development, the learning environment, assessment and learning and teaching support materials.
There’s also a new focus on reading and language. According to Brahm Fleisch, professor of education policy at the University of the Witwatersrand, there is strong support for extending teaching in African languages for home-language learners until the end of grade six, rather than the end of grade three.
The National Planning Commission says improving literacy (and numeracy) in the foundation years will “significantly accelerate progress by addressing the systemic inefficiencies of failure and repetition” and the “long-term personal and systemic consequences of poor foundations”.
Fleisch says there’s also a plan for three curriculum streams — academic, technical and occupational — in high schools, with learners choosing which one to follow exclusively from grade 10.
Relevant education
Learners from the technical and occupational streams will gravitate to vocational and technical training after matriculating, and in this sector, too, progress is being made. The department’s deputy director general, Sam Zungu, said during a recent X Space discussion hosted by Kagiso Trust that curricula are being revamped to “ensure that we afford young people the most relevant education” for employment or to start a business.
Vijayen Naidoo, chief executive of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations, said a big feature of the associated new qualifications is a greater emphasis on practical skills alongside theoretical and workplace modules. And technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, not students, will be responsible for providing workplace experience.
The shift is supported by investment in new TVET colleges, more online programmes and modules, lecturer training and a “centres of specialisation” model that offers industry-led training and promotes entrepreneurism.
Naidoo said TVET colleges would no longer “produce learners for unemployment” by offering irrelevant courses. “If we can develop enough qualifications that industry demands, we can guarantee a higher uptake of learners into industry,” he said.
Importantly, only the “appropriate level” of maths and science to practise a trade will be required, not necessarily a matric pass. “We want to get people through from learning to earning as soon as possible,” said Naidoo.
As a development agency with decades of experience in igniting human capacity through education, Kagiso Trust knows better than most about the difficulties of turning policy into practice — and the size of the investment required in teacher training and resources.
These must become national priorities if we are to provide South Africa’s young people with the launchpad they need and transform our economy.
Dr Mankodi Moitse is the chief executive officer of Kagiso Trust and serves as co-chair at Kagiso Shanduka Trust.