POLOKWANE – Despite having the relevant educational qualifications and, increasingly, work experience, some experts and employers believe graduates contribute to rising unemployment due to their “negative attitudes towards work,” making them “undesirable to work with” and effectively, unemployable.
Prominent businesswoman Ntombezinhle Mohosana noted that this negative attitude is one of several factors insufficiently addressed.
She highlighted that individuals aged 15-24 and 25-34 are the largest groups among the over 1.4 million job seekers in Limpopo, which has the seventh worst unemployment rate in the country at 32.7%.
Additionally, around three million unemployed South Africans are discouraged from seeking work for various reasons.
These statistics were published in Statistics South Africa (Stats SA)’s labour force survey for the first quarter of 2024.
A certified human resources officer who opted to speak anonymously, told the Polokwane Observer that few youths apply for positions at their private company due to the high experience levels expected. Those accepted for internships, however, often lack motivation, focusing more on adding the experience to their curriculum vitae than on performing well.
A recruiter from Sisol Labour Projects and Recruitment remarked that youths permanently hired right out of higher education did show an eagerness to learn and proved to be valuable assets. “Never treat internships as just that. Employers want someone they can rely on,” he remarked. Despite their goal to empower, the recruiter, however, mentioned that they too had recently terminated several employment agreements with youths due to their attitudes.
According to Prof Ricky Mukonza, a public affairs lecturer at TUT Polokwane Campus, other factors contributing to joblessness include rampant corruption, poor policymaking by Limpopo Government, and a lack of skills necessary to drive economic growth, such as those needed for the fourth industrial revolution.
“Perhaps if the seventh administration prioritises projects encouraging students to study in scarce fields, unemployment may improve. There is an oversupply of common degrees in higher education institutions,” he explained.
Premier Chupu Mathabatha recently urged municipalities to identify competitive areas for economic development, emphasising the need to restructure Limpopo and create more jobs for its citizens.
The Stats SA survey indicated that youths with higher education qualifications do have better employment opportunities compared to those with only a matric certificate or none at all, though unemployment among graduates still rose by 11.8%.
Furthermore, an over-reliance on the public and private sectors to create jobs is said to exacerbate the pressing issue of unemployment, rather than youths using their qualifications to create employment for themselves and others.
Two young people, aged 23 and 30, recently told the Polokwane Observer that this option seems unfeasible to many of their peers due to the expectation to “earn a decent salary after completing a qualification”.
“The job market has become unfair, expecting us to know and do so much right out of university or without prior experience. And yet, we still earn so little and receive only small salary increases even if we reach executive positions,” one remarked.
