Hot Seat Series Unemployment Solutions seminar held in Ivory Park
Youth employment seminar held in Ivory Park during the weekend.
Wiseman Makhubu hosted the The Hot Seat Series Unemployment Solutions seminar at Ivory Park Youth Centre on October 12.
The purpose of the event was to create a platform where the youth and the community at large can come together and address the issue of unemployment. South Africa’s unemployment rate as recorded in the third quarter was 29 per cent. The topic of the event was “Solutions to Unemployment”, which enabled the speakers to come up with different solution to helping young people get alternatives ways to upskill themselves or making money to survive as they wait to be called for jobs they applied for.
Makhubu said they explored solutions like getting SETA-accredited skills to help with becoming employable, becoming entrepreneurs to make their own money and possibly growing to create employment for others.
“We also looked at getting into government programmes like YES (Youth Employment Service) for poor people to stand a better chance of getting a job and exploring network marketing to earn money,” said Makhubu.
Makhubu said they wanted to change the youth’s mindset from just sending a CV then waiting, to also being active in alternatives like entrepreneurship. If opportunities are not there then they should create their own.
The speakers that were invited were Amanda Ndaba (network marketer), Mel Jay (insurance expert), Rita Zwane (business owner), Ishmael Dube (skills development expert), Bongani Sibisi (serial entrepreneur), Buyi Daweti (public speaker and pastor), Kabelo Thinane (energy and oil entrepreneur), Rentia Tukker (scientist), Kgomotso Makoro (YES accounts manager), and SEDA representatives.
Makhubu also said the speakers’ focus was to help young people who attended the event to know that being unemployed is not the end of the world.
“They are from different sectors and backgrounds, which helped young people to explore through different information sectors and solutions they can grasp and use to fight unemployment.
“The speakers also offered free training and to assist with guidance and empowerment to those willing to take a step out of the ‘I am unemployed so I’m done mindset’,” said Makhubu.
He added that their primary stakeholders was the unemployed youth, but they also welcomed youth who are employed in hopes that they can also get information that will help them gain skills and grow in their respective careers.
“We also opened it to the community at large as we had parents and elderly people who came to get information to take back to their children and grandchildren. We also had a representative from the office of the councillor.
“Speakers were from the private sector as they own successful businesses. We also invited government agencies representing the public sector (SEDA and YES),” said Makhubu.
Bongani Sibisi, managing director of DIGS group, said he believes the event was such a great initiatives because as young people they were digging for solutions against unemployment instead of their folding hands.
“One of the aspects a speaker touched on is that the government can cannot absorb all of us. When the government wants to come forth, it should find us already on a moving train having functional businesses of our own,” said Sibisi.
