Shining beyond unemployment epidemic
IN a country where the number of people without a job has increased by 100 000 to 4.6 million between 2012 and 2013, reportedly resulting in an increase in the unemployment rate to 25.2 percent; a black diamond shines through this dark cloud.
Statistics SA, in a study, revealed that the number of discouraged work seekers had increased by 73 000 to 2.3 million out of the approximate 4. 6 million people who were looking for employment in 2013.
Twenty Six-year-old Thato Khumalo, a recent B.Com Accounting graduate who is employed at one of the notable black owned accounting firms in Johannesburg, Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo, is one of a small number of success stories of young black females who achieved their professional dreams despite being from challenging backgrounds.
Thato’s rise to the top represents a possibility of triumph to many of her peers at a township south of Johannesburg and to other young women who are struggling with getting suitable employment partly due to not having been afforded the opportunity to attain a tertiary education.
“Mine is not your average story, I initially wanted to study law and when I didn’t geta by-in from those around me I then registered for Civil engineering at the last hour. On registration day in the registration line, I changed my mind and decided to pursue studies in accounting. It really could be said that the career path chose me,” said the bubbly Audit Manager.
Thato was raised in a single parent headed home where her mother tried her all to ensure that she and her younger sister acquired a decent education, which would give them the kind of opportunities that she never had.
Although some have attributed the lengthy period it takes to find employment as the reason why many young people are discouraged and barely believe that they would ever get a sufficient paying position at any hiring company, there reportedly is hope. Youngsters like Thato are finding ways to overcome unemployment barriers.
“Coming from a place where most people are disadvantaged, even though some of them have houses the majority of the households are categorised as poor, lower middle-class and a very few can be considered as middle-class. Thus, I and a few others who have overcome the odds against us have a responsibility to assist other young people. Through tutoring on weekends, exposing the kids to career opportunities, helping them fill out bursary, scholarship, NSFAS and university forms we can contribute to alleviating hindrances of seemingly hopeless circumstances,” Thato added.
Thato advises job seekers to have more faith in themselves because she says that they will achieve way more than what they had imagined for themselves.
