DEPRIVING THE DEPRIVED
By Tshepo Matseba
Unemployment is escalating like wild fire. Yet South African companies are depriving millions of jobseekers of opportunities to find employment. An average unemployed person in this country does not have a car let alone a drivers licence. Yet, when advertising for posts, most employers from all sectors, including the government, require "valid drivers licence" and "own car". This deters people from previously disadvantaged communities from applying for these posts, even though they might meet the criteria except for "own car" and "valid drivers licence." The advertisements mostly say, "this is an AA position", or "The Dept X is an affirmative action employer", and that "candidates from previously disadvantaged communities will be given preference". The question is; how then do you give poor people opportunities when you need cars from them. It is a fact that an unemployed person who has not worked before, cannot afford a vehicle.
Another disappointing factor is that most employers require 3 to 5 years relevant working experience in most of the posts they advertise. Yet when young people (both tertiary graduates and matriculants) enter their premises requesting training, internship, jobs, or even volunteering opportunities, they are told that there are no such opportunities and job seekers must buy newspapers and look for jobs. If employers are serious about a lack of experience amongst job seekers, then perhaps it is time that they work together with tertiary institutions and the Department of Labour in coming up with a system that ensures skills development from Grade 10, in a manner that a Grade 12 graduate would have 2 years practical experience in a field of their interest so that they may be employable. There are learnerships that were established by the Department of Labour with the Setas, but, very few companies are actively part-taking in these learnerships despite the tax benefits that they could gain. Perhaps it's time that the whole process of Skills Development becomes revisited.
