Key Highlights :
The unemployment rate in South Africa is shockingly high, and it is only going to get worse unless brave initiatives by individuals and groups are introduced to create more jobs. The scarcity of jobs sees skilled workers leaving for abroad, or falling by the wayside, while many school leavers never reach their full potential as they settle for a job that will merely put food on the table. We need to create more jobs, or at least give youngsters the opportunity to blossom.
One such group that is making a difference is Sol-Tech, a college in Centurion, Tshwane that caters for Afrikaans-speaking post-school young adults. Solidarity built the R300 million campus for 1 000 students, and while they have come in for criticism for excluding a large part of the population, they are at least doing something to give students a better life.
Sol-Tech is open to all South Africans, not just Afrikaans-speakers. However, students must be able to speak Afrikaans or be able to understand lectures in Afrikaans. According to Sol-Tech managing director Paul van Deventer “all is not lost and South Africans must come together and do something, instead of relying on government”.
At Sol-Tech, they are keeping the dreams of young South Africans alive and giving them the opportunity to thrive. While the college is privately run, it is hoped that other public and private institutions will follow suit and introduce similar initiatives to help job seekers in South Africa.
Government and businesses must unite in the fight against rising unemployment, and initiatives such as Sol-Tech offer a glimmer of hope for young South Africans. It is only through collaboration and innovation that we can create more jobs and give youth the opportunity to thrive.