By: Kealeboga Mokolobate, Transformation Facilitator, Transcend Corporate Advisors
This is a two part series on the Youth Employment Service – YES initiative. In this first part we look at how young people can apply and benefit from the initiative.
According to Stats SA, very recently the unemployment rate was calculated at 29%, and 56% of that was the youth.
With Time Magazine declaring South Africa as the most unequal society, the current unemployment statistics show the dark reality that many young people in South Africa live with. The Youth Employment Service, has been hailed as a possible silver bullet in combatting the high youth unemployment statistics.
The YES Programme allows corporate South Africa to be responsible corporate citizens, while improving on the B-BBEE Scorecard.
SEE ALSO: Here Are The 2019 Plans for the Youth Employment Service (YES) Initiative
For youth, corporate & SMEs
The opportunity for the youth is to have exposure to the working world, gaining skills and experience, and improving on their employability.
There is also an opportunity for SMEs: Some corporates that partake in YES sometimes do not have the facilities to take on the extra heads. This is a special opportunity for SMMEs in need of extra hands take on the extra hands without having to increase payroll costs.
SEE ALSO: MTN Commits to the Creation of 1000 Jobs as Part of YES Initiative
The helplessness felt by the youth is also shown through current campaigns taking place. The boiling frustration of youth unemployment is seen with various protests by unemployed graduates.
The youth’s hunger for economic opportunities started with the call for free education, culminating into the protests at various universities for free education and now protests by unemployed graduates in the wake of these shocking statistics.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has recognised that youth unemployment is a serious impediment to the growth and prosperity of South Africa as whole. However, what can the youth do in these times of uncertainty. Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu has also recently commented on these bleak statistics and has said that solving the unemployment challenge is a priority.
About Y.E.S
The hope for young people has become the Youth Employment Service gazetted by the Department of Trade and Industry as part of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Codes of Good Practice.
The Youth Employment Service allows young people to be part of a work exposure programme for people aged 18-35 years. These youths must be previously unemployed. This YES Programmes allows corporate companies to move either, 1 level up, and in some cases 2 levels up, if they double their targets of youth candidates.
The Youth Employment Service is a chance for young people to increase their employability. Young people can apply at YES Hubs placed all over South Africa.
The YES labs are fully equipped with computer labs and Wi-Fi to ensure they can be registered on the YES platform and database.
To find our more about YES visit the official website: https://www.yes4youth.co.za/. Once a youth has been accepted to participate in YES, they will be given a cellphone which will have pre-installed software that helps to tracks their progress.
As a young person, this is a chance of a lifetime as YES allows young people to prove themselves. The YES Programme has been taken up by many prominent large companies such as Cell C, Volvo and Nedbank making commitment earlier this year. According to the YES website, almost 400 companies have joined the YES Programme – a perfect opportunity for an eager youth.
Are you a youth looking for employment opportunity through YES:
Here are 5 key considerations to know.
1. Explore your talents and potential using the most state of the art tools in Talent Management – after all, you are talent personified:
The YES website gives insights on your journey in becoming a YES candidate and will show you to your nearest YES Hub to register.
Take it a step further though – understand your impact as a youth through your unique innate qualities: Are you a great critical thinker? Are you innately able to problem solve or innovate?
Understanding your unique traits can go a long way to ensuring you find yourself in a great YES environment. Understanding your potential in light of the coming revolution will make you an integral part of South Africa’s empowered and employed youth.
Ever heard of YES2Work?
This platform, powered by Transcend allows you to learn about these traits. Zanele Luvuno, Managing Director at Transcend Talent Management believes that YES is the perfect tool for Talent Management, not just recruitment for a 1 year programme.
Yes is an opportunity to address the current skills shortage in the information age. YES is a vehicle for change and talent management, while also being able to ensure B-BBEE benefit . Transcend has a radical outlook to YES: YES is an economic decision made by a company, and has social impact.
This isn’t just about moving up 1 level, its about investing in youth that will drive your company forward into the future selecting for candidates with the potential to acquire skills sets of the future. Y.E.S is a potential talent incubator for any company that understands the benefits of grooming the right talent.
What are the benefits of the YES2Work platform for a YES candidate? It tests your behaviour and potential, not the content you learned in school or university-The bar has been re-set. With these results, you can be integrated into a company that has a future for you.
2. The YES onboarding process is fairly fast and efficient, so in the meantime, mentally prepare yourself. According to Kefilwe Morutimang at Transcend Corporate Advisors, who has assisted a number of corporates to register on YES and registered YES youth candidates as well, within a week the full registration of the company, the candidates can all be placed within a week.
Ensure you have clothes appropriate for the setting, ensure you have the transport route planned, and make all arrangements prior to your first day at work.
3. Be mindful of your career goals. YES is an opportunity for long term employability and you need to understand that absorption to permanent employment is not guaranteed.
It is important to ensure that your previous exposure, future goals and career goals are top of mind. You are more likely to be absorbed if your skills align with the company’s needs. Remember to choose for fit and opportunity, and bring your best self to the job.
4. Be the best that you can be. Treat YES as your year long job interview and do your best to wow your employers. Although full time employment is not guaranteed, a super star at work always shines and will always find great opportunities. Try your best to stand out, and be sure to stay the full-term so you can show that you are reliable and resilient.
5. Understand your rights and responsibilities. Per the gazette for YES candidate must be as an employee per the Law, and thus all protections afforded to YES candidates are set out in current labour law. While, as a YES candidate, you have this protection, you also have the responsibility to observe all the companies laws and policies.
About the author: Kealeboga Mokolobate is a Transformation Facilitator at Transcend Corporate Advisors. Mokolobate assists many prominent corporates in the B-BBEE and Transformation journey, assisting her clients to be empowered by the B-BBEE journey and also assisting SMME’s to find empowerment in this journey. As a small business owner herself and a former Enterprise and Supplier Development Practitioner, she has a special passion for SMME and innovation. She believes greatly that the diversity of South Africa is its strength. She is also a postgraduate university student at the University of the Witswatersrand in Johannesburg.
