Cape town: Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, has called for a more integrated approach between government, institutions, and employers to better position young people for participation in the economy. She emphasized that coordinated efforts are critical to ensuring unemployed youth are meaningfully absorbed into the labour market.
According to South African Government News Agency, Mhlauli highlighted that the world of work is undergoing profound change, with many future roles not yet in existence and current roles evolving or disappearing. This transformation requires a fundamental shift in how young people are prepared for the labour market. She pointed to rapid technological advancements, the expansion of digital economies, and shifts in global value chains as forces reshaping job nature and skills requirements.
Mhlauli was speaking at the fourth anniversary of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She underscored the urgency of addressing South Africa's persistent youth unemployment challenge and noted that strengthening partnerships and aligning skills development with emerging economic demands are key to improving employment outcomes for young people.
'Young people between the ages of 15 and 34 make up more than half of our working-age population, yet far too many remain excluded from employment, education, or training,' Mhlauli said. She warned that when young people are locked out of the economy, the consequences are intergenerational, weakening households, destabilizing communities, and constraining economic growth.
She explained that the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative is a coordinated national response designed to create pathways into the labour market, provide meaningful work experience, and equip young people with necessary skills. The initiative is not a single programme but a platform that brings together multiple interventions under a shared vision.
The Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of aligning public sector opportunities, private sector participation, and institutional support to ensure young people are not left behind. Through collaboration, the PYEI connects young people to structured opportunities offering both income and learning, demonstrating that when given an opportunity, young people can rise to the occasion.
The University of the Western Cape has been instrumental in supporting graduates through the Presidential Youth Employment Stimulus (PYES), enabling their transition into various sectors of the economy over the past four years. Mhlauli concluded by affirming the goal of a skills system that is more responsive, flexible, and closely aligned with economic demand.