Unemployed Graduates Dialogue

A few months ago the unemployed graduates across the country stood on the side of the road holding placards that read    #HireAGraduate as an indication of the unemployed graduates’ desperation for getting jobs.

The unemployment of graduates is one of the serious issues that South Africa faces and that needs to be addressed. However not much have been done in order to deal with this issue.

Spaza shop media hosted a dialogue session where graduates, entrepreneurs, Harambee, and various media houses such as varsity TV, TV Yabantu, Kofifi FM came together to discuss the causes and the challenges graduates are facing. The main reason for the dialogue was to create a platform where graduates express themselves, also to find solutions towards the high unemployment of graduates.
One of the outlined reasons for the high graduates’unemployment rate is the issue of graduates refusing to start from the bottom, often when graduates complete their qualifications, they expect to get jobs that they qualified for,  which Is a serious challenge. Mr Lumkani an entrepreneur outlined the fact that graduates shouldn’t walk around thinking the deserve a job just because they qualified for it “That qualification is just a paper” he’s advised qualifies not to go around looking for a job but create employment for themselves, ” Often tertiary education brainwash students, it teaches them to go work for someone not to go build a company.” he said

The South African youth need to have more dialogue sessions such as the unemployed graduate’s session, where they get to discuss issues affecting them. They need to be taught ways to make living for themselves.

“I learned a lot at the unemployment dialogue session, they say you shouldn’t rely on your degree cause that is just a paper but you have to get skills in order to get a good job, school only gives us knowledge but does not give us the necessary skills as youth to survive in the world after you graduate, that’s why sometimes we spend years without jobs. One need to push to be humble and push because having masters or honours  does not guarantee you a job.” Phakamile Mbiza an unemployed graduate.

Many companies require job experience on their job posts, which is one of the serious issues graduate’s faces, while others have to deal with the issue of ‘knowing the right person’ known as having connections with people that can hire you. The advice offered to graduates was to learn to market themselves, learn to attend skills development simars, be willing to learn and socialize as a way of building connections. “it is true that nowadays it becomes easier if you have are connected to however going out there, meeting people will open doors, more importantly, let the focus be on gaining skills and experience, not money” Juliet from TV Yabantu.

Harambee is one of the organisations that assists unemployed youth with skill training and help with getting youth jobs. You can Apply to www.harambee.mobi