| Project Name | Digital Skills for Youth at Risk in South Africa |
| Commisioned by | German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) |
| Country | South Africa |
| Implementing Organisation | Afrika Tikkun Services – afrikatikkunservices.com |
| Duration | November 2021 – October 2022 |
The Challenge
High Unemployment of Youth: The unemployment rate for young people below 35 years in South Africa is twice as high as the overall national rate. Many young people lack the requisite level of education as well as basic computer skills to enter the labour market.
COVID-19 Pandemic led to Job Losses: The high unemployment rates have been further exacerbated by COVID-19 as the country recovers from the impact of the pandemic. During the pandemic, the unemployment rate rose drastically, affecting those groups who were already left behind in the labour market: people with lower education, people in poverty, black Africans, and informal workers – with women being disproportionally affacted, putting them at a ‘double disadvantage’.
The Objective
The project aims to reduce the unemployment rate amongst young people in South Africa by creating opportunities and supporting access to the job economy. Disadvantaged youth gain digital capacities and technical skills to be successful in the South African IT sector. In doing so, the project addresses the skills shortage in the ICT sector, while contributing to the empowerment of previously left behind young people.
The Target Group
The programme targets out-of-school, unemployed young people aged between 18 – 35 years from townships and informal settlements in South Africa. Young women are especially targeted for this program as they are particularly vulnerable.
About Afrika Tikkun Services
Afrika Tikkun is a non-profit organisation established in 1994. Its commitment is to holistically develop the lives of young community members. Therefore, a 360° Cradle-to-Career Programme approach was designed to meet the demands of health, education and future wellbeing of South Africa’s impoverished youth. The operational sectors of TIKKUN cover Education, Agriculture, Business and Professions, Health, Welfare, Housing, Public Relations, Youth and Sport, Art and Culture.
Website: afrikatikkunservices.com
The Approach
Providing Learning Opportunities: Afrika Tikkun equipped five centres and identified further public and private partners and public spaces like libraries or partnering organisations where youth can access to computers, internet and other resources needed to access the training courses.
Career Development and Placement: Four cohorts, each comprising 150 candidates, are trained for twelve months within the Career Development and Placement (CDP) programme. The CDP consists of basic computer skills including general operation and common programmes like MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. The second training step covers digital skills such as information generation and communication. Also, virtual collaboration tools and cloud-based platforms are provided for cooperation and communication purposes.
Employment Opportunities and Work Placements: After gaining the basic skills, the participants are trained in the most highly ranked in-demand professional IT roles in South Africa which are Desktop Support Technician, Junior Software Developer and Data Analyst. Therefore, Afrika Tikkun has identified several IT companies that will host candidates for work experience in selected fields once they have completed their training.
The Results
- 600 disadvantaged young people are trained in work readiness and ICT tracks
- At least 540 young people are placed in work experience or job opportunities.
- 400 participants earn at least a minimum wage
- 150 participants pass their optional certification
Youth unemployment is a key driver of poverty and inequality because it traps marginalised young people into an intergenerational cycle of poverty. For the future I would like to see a world where we effectively address the gaps that contribute to unemployment and improve employment/self-employment outcomes for our country’s young people, their families and their communities. This will contribute to a strengthening economy, and ultimately social stability in South Africa, Africa and the world.
Onyinye Nwaneri
CEO Afrika Tikkun Services
Onyi Nwaneri is a human rights activist and Executive Director of Afrika Tikkun Services. In the interview Onyi Nwaneri shows that achieving the 2030 Agenda is a joined endeavour.