Media Release
As the class of 2024 prepares for their final matric exams, they’re not just facing academic pressures—they’re also confronting the harsh realities of an ever-evolving job market. South Africa’s youth unemployment rate, one of the highest in the world, has skyrocketed to 45.5% in the first quarter of this year, significantly higher than the national average of 32.9%.
The urgency for innovative solutions to future-proof learners has never been greater, especially as the high school dropout rate underscores the serious challenges facing the country’s youth. Recent data from Statistics South Africa reveals that only about 40% of learners who began Grade 1 will sit for their National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams this year, and a mere 12% of those will qualify for higher education. Dropout rates are particularly alarming in higher grades, with Grade 11 seeing a 24.08% dropout rate, closely followed by Grade 10 at 14.84%.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. After School Programmes (ASPs) are emerging as essential lifelines for thousands of South Africa’s most vulnerable youth. This year, the fifth annual Lights On After School campaign, led by The Learning Trust in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport Youth Office will spotlight the transformative role ASPs play in building strong foundations for future success in the job market.
“ASPs act as critical interventions that can safeguard South Africa’s youth against significant barriers to economic participation. These programmes are stepping in to equip learners with digital literacy, technical skills, and critical soft skills like problem-solving, and emotional intelligence to thrive in a future workforce,” says to Charlene Petersen Voss, Executive Director at The Learning Trust, a non-profit organisation that supports and helps develop a network of NGO community-based After School Programmes in South Africa.
Voss explains that many young learners from underserved communities lack access to quality education, mentorship, and support, as well as access to internships and professional networks.
“The ASP sector is essential in levelling the playing field by providing access to mentorship, job shadowing, and other opportunities that are typically out of reach for marginalised youth. After school programmes can nurture entrepreneurial mindsets, helping young people to develop self-sufficiency and the ability to create their own opportunities. It’s crucial to expand access to these life-changing programmes, particularly for learners in rural and marginalised communities.”
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