ACDP would like to see Youth Month igniting passion of young people to take practical steps to follow their dreams • calls on NYDA to focus on skills, entrepreneurship
As Youth Month begins in South Africa, the theme is 'The Year of OR Tambo: Advancing Youth Economic Empowerment’.
ACDP MP Cheryllyn Dudley said today that "the ACDP would like to see Youth Month facilitating opportunities for the passion of young people to be ignited and for them to take practical steps to follow their dreams. It is a month where programmes and initiatives focused on developing skills and entrepreneurial opportunities must reach and inspire young people with real hope of a future they want to be a part of.
Just looking back and focusing on the past can give young people the wrong impression that they are seen as not being brave enough and not having a worthy enough fight to fight - this can fuel frustration and a need to pick fights that are not necessary. Today's youth are as awesome as any generation before and it is their turn to channel their energy into building and expanding opportunities for future generations.
Issues that have captured the hearts and minds of more and more young people like 'decolonization' must find expression and concerns and solutions must be vigorously explored and debated in the context of a shared future.
On the subject of economic empowerment- it is unacceptable that young people, particularly young graduates, are not finding work in this country - often because they don’t have experience and avenues to gain experience are not opening. As the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Chair, Siphiso Mtsweni said recently "If they don’t have jobs, where are they going to get that experience?”
"The ACDP calls on the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) - which has been allocated a budget of R430 million - to focus on partnering with business to ensure relevant skills development, youth entrepreneurial opportunities and other initiatives that can help young people gain relevant experience.
The ACDP welcomes plans to get all youth formations and student movements to meet within the next few weeks to get their inputs on the challenges they are facing, particularly at higher learning institutions.
The ACDP also joins the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe in encouraging young people to keep in mind the challenges faced by the country when they choose tertiary courses. “It is important to focus on STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] subjects and also ICT. It is of critical importance that we look at trends happening around the world." he said.
The World Economic Forum in January this year released a report that 60% of all the children who are in primary school this year, will be in jobs that don’t exist today. "It is crucial for learners to study the courses that will give them an opportunity to compete in the job market and ensure a better future for all in a prosperous South Africa" Dudley said.
