Motshekga concerned about youth unemployment

Regardless of Government’s efforts the level of poverty remains high and this is due to the high rate of unemployment among the youths in the country. This according to Education Minister Angie Motshekga who addressed her department’s ‘Second Chance Programme at Mastec Training Centre in Seshego on Sunday.
The programme that has taken the Minister across the country is aimed at encouraging and inspiring learners to use the second chance that granted them to acquire good matric results. She was addressing progressed and second chance matric learners from various schools in the Capricorn district. Motshekga, accompanied Education MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe, told her audience that young persons who cannot secure employment become vulnerable and end up engaging in criminal activities and social ills such as drug abuse. She said she agreed with a statement by Kgetjepe that the department should do whatever it takes to ensure that young people don’t leave school without acquiring the National Senior Certificate.
Motshekga said a person with a national senior certificate stands a better chance to secure employment and can expect a startup salary of at least R5 000 while those with a tertiary qualification can expect at least
R10 000 in their first job.
“The fact that the Limpopo department got out of the disclaimer is a good start but more still needs to be done. Our department should stop contributing to the unemployment rate and come up with various initiatives to equip young people with necessary skills for them to establish businesses to earn a decent living. Limpopo seems to be on top of its game but should continue supporting learners to improve the Grade 12 pass rate,” Motshekga insisted.
She said there were a number of challenges such as teenage pregnancy, family issues and adolescence that pushes learners to drop out of school without a senior certificate. She further said learners should fight these obstacles and do whatever it takes to complete matric.
According to the information made available by Kgetjepe, there are over 7 000 learners making progress to acquire the requirements of the National Senior Certificate through different programmes provided by the department in Limpopo. These include those following modularisation, those who were progressed and those in Second Chance Matric Programmes.
He said government has realised that Grade 12 becomes key in opening doors for both further learning and careers path hence the introduction of different study ventures. He further said the province initially had eight to cater for second chance programme enrolment but 35 centres were later established to bring the total number of centres to 43.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za