Ramaphosa tells employers to stop treating inexperience as inability
Ramaphosa placed entrepreneurship at the centre of his youth employment strategy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South African employers to reconsider their hiring practices for young individuals, discouraging them from viewing a lack of work experience as a sign of limited ability. Addressing the SA Youth National Leadership Convening in Sandton, Ramaphosa stressed the need to break the cycle that prevents young people from finding jobs due to a lack of experience while denying them the chance to gain that experience.
He encouraged employers to consider factors such as potential, aptitude, determination, and willingness to learn, rather than solely focusing on formal qualifications and previous employment. Ramaphosa emphasized that the first opportunity often proves to be the most challenging and that the government cannot tackle youth unemployment by merely expanding existing programs.
He called for recruitment practices that emphasize skills development, mentorship, and training for young workers, rather than simply looking for candidates with formal qualifications and experience. Ramaphosa stressed that businesses must be prepared to provide opportunities for young people to develop their skills, offering contracts and market access to young entrepreneurs.
The president also urged a shift in focus from a heavy emphasis on university education, advocating for more young people to pursue technical and vocational careers, such as artisan work, building, electrical work, and agricultural specialization. Ramaphosa identified sectors like tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, digital services, and the green economy as having significant potential for youth employment.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between government, businesses, and training institutions to identify growing labor demand and provide young people with the skills required to fill these opportunities. Ramaphosa urged businesses to create concrete opportunities for young people and training institutions to strengthen their ties with employers, moving beyond mere commitments to measurable action.
He stressed that young people are not seeking special treatment but a fair chance to work, learn, earn a living, and contribute to the country's development.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
