Youth high unemployment/unemployability in South Africa: the unemployed graduates' perspectives

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore youth graduate unemployment and unemployability as a development problem in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study applied a qualitative research method to elicit the perspectives of youth graduates regarding their unemployment and unemployability. A total of 30 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with unemployed youth who recently graduated from five South African universities.FindingsThe results indicate that, as youth graduate unemployment increases in South Africa, graduates become hopeless in terms of securing employment. The participants attributed their unemployment to multidimensional factors that include limited demand in the labour market, skills mismatch and lack of work experience.Research limitations/implicationsThis research exclusively focused on graduates from five South African universities; hence, the results of this small qualitative study cannot be generalised to the entire South African population. However, this paper offers important insights that may form the foundation for a nationwide study on a related topic.Originality/valueThis paper presents important insights that influence policy makers, government and other relevant stakeholders to develop alternative solutions to youth graduate unemployment. This paper recommends that government should play a critical role in bridging the gap between higher education and industry in order to address youth graduate unemployment. It also calls for a more cooperative effort between government, higher learning institutions and employers in order to create job opportunities for youth graduates in South Africa.

90 Day Trial Periods in New Zealand - The Impact on Young Unskilled Workers

<p>This thesis examines the early work experiences of low skilled youth against the background of the recently introduced 90 day trial periods legislation. A mixed method research approach was employed to survey young people’s experiences of their early work careers, along with interviews with key stakeholders in the field of youth employment. From a sample of 100 self administered surveys from young people, the research finds that 90 day trial periods are not widely used for 15 to 19 year olds. Low incidence of use can be explained by majority of respondents being in part time or casual work. Where respondents were in full time employment trial periods are widely used, and they are more likely to be applied in a formal and long term manner by employers within the construction industry. The research concludes that while 90 day trial periods are one mechanism for increasing youth employment, they may not be the most effective as youth unemployment is a complex issue with systemic causes. The factors that contribute to youth unemployment are widespread and could be addressed by increased career advice in schools, a more comprehensive youth transition between school and employment and addressing the skills mismatch with employers needs in the workplace. Addressing these issues may have greater impact on youth unemployment than 90 day trial periods.</p>

90 Day Trial Periods in New Zealand - The Impact on Young Unskilled Workers

<p>This thesis examines the early work experiences of low skilled youth against the background of the recently introduced 90 day trial periods legislation. A mixed method research approach was employed to survey young people’s experiences of their early work careers, along with interviews with key stakeholders in the field of youth employment. From a sample of 100 self administered surveys from young people, the research finds that 90 day trial periods are not widely used for 15 to 19 year olds. Low incidence of use can be explained by majority of respondents being in part time or casual work. Where respondents were in full time employment trial periods are widely used, and they are more likely to be applied in a formal and long term manner by employers within the construction industry. The research concludes that while 90 day trial periods are one mechanism for increasing youth employment, they may not be the most effective as youth unemployment is a complex issue with systemic causes. The factors that contribute to youth unemployment are widespread and could be addressed by increased career advice in schools, a more comprehensive youth transition between school and employment and addressing the skills mismatch with employers needs in the workplace. Addressing these issues may have greater impact on youth unemployment than 90 day trial periods.</p>

Knowledge mapping of skills mismatch phenomenon: a scientometric analysis

PurposeThis paper aims to understand the development track of skills mismatch research and discover the hidden internal connections between literature.Design/methodology/approachThe authors gathered data through scientometric quantitative analysis using CiteSpace. Specifically, this article applied basic analysis, journal cocitation analysis (JCA), author cocitation analysis (ACA) and document cocitation analysis (DCA), cluster analysis, citation burstness detection, scientific research cooperation analysis and coconcurrence analysis of keywords of 3,125 documents from Web of Science core collections for the period 2000–2020.FindingsThrough the document cocitation analysis and the keywords' co-occurrence, this article identifies influential scholars, documents, research institutions, journals and research hotspots in research on the skills mismatch phenomenon. The results showed that the publications had ballooned, and the phenomenon has become an interdisciplinary research subject. The USA and Finland remain the main contributors, which is attributed to their high-yield institutions such as the University of Helsinki, the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Washington and so on. While the African continent lacks research on skills mismatch even with the continent’s effort to overcome such a crucial issue. The paper presents an in-depth analysis of skills and educational mismatch issues to better understand the evolutionary trajectory of the collective knowledge over the past 20 years and highlight the areas of active pursuit.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors only used Web of Science core collection to collect data; however, they can added Scopus indexed database as well to extend the research trends and explore more new research hot topics to solve the skills mismatch phenomenon.Originality/valueThe scientometric analysis is of great significance for identifying the potential relationship between the literature and investigating the knowledge evolution of skills mismatch research. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization are the giants who are mostly concerned of the mismatch skills phenomenon. Researchers can refer to this study to understand the status quo, gaps and research trends to deal with the skills mismatch issue.

Dynamics and Complexities of Work Based Education in the Context of Technical, Vocational and Training Colleges

ABSTRACT Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in South Africa has undergone major institutional, structural and curricular changes over the last twenty-seven years. At the centre of these changes lie skills mismatch and poor quality of graduates who have gone through Work Based Education (WBE) experience. This study was conducted on two campuses of one of the public TVET colleges in northern KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. This mixed-method study used purposive sampling to identify the sample size of 21 participants, which comprised campus managers, senior lecturers and WBE champions. The findings revealed that the college management is failing to give necessary support to the implementers on the ground to carry out the WBE programme. Findings also revealed that the college management seems not to fully comprehend their role in enforcing compliance with the regulation guiding the WBE implementation. The need to strengthen ties with existing host employers and to recruit new host employers to address a serious shortage in graduate placement is evident. The study recommends that a clear vision for the implementation of WBE be prioritised and communicated to all stakeholders for effective implementation of the programme.