CHOOSE: Food or Work???

According to a study conducted in the late part of 2021 by Youth Capital and Open Dialogue, there are more than 80% of unemployed young people in South Africa who have to choose between looking for work and buying food.

The results are based on a survey of 2,200 respondents aged 18 to 34, most of whom were seeking employment. In August and November 2021, they were asked how much time and money they spend on data and transportation to look for work, as well as where they get their money. They were also asked if they had to choose between looking for work and buying food, 84% of participants answered, yes.

The Siyakha study found that young Africans, on average, spend R938 a month looking for work. These costs include transport, data or internet usage, printing, certification, copying, postage, scanning, and application fees or agency fees.

Most of the participants - 69% - said they borrow money from family members. 20% said they borrowed from a friend, and 27% said they used a government grant.

The survey found that 44% of participants had been looking for a job for more than a year.

Although applications are accessible online, there's still a requirement to send certified copies of their documents which means they'll have to take a trip to the police station or post office, which costs money.

The researchers found that young people needed better services in their communities that lower the cost of job-seeking, such as using public libraries and other sites to make online applications. They said young people were often not aware of the services designed to connect them with what they needed.

Those involved in skills training should better equip themselves to connect young people with employment opportunities and help them stay involved in activities that strengthen their CVs, such as volunteering and job shadowing.

According to StatsSA, nearly two-thirds of people aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed.

"It's critical that solutions address the job-seeking costs go beyond only the financial costs, and build on existing interventions to remove the roadblocks that young people face on their journey to a sustainable livelihood," the researchers said.

Source: Marecia Damons, (News24) 2022