The Dundee Digital Skills Hub goes live in the Month of Youth Day

Investing in a better tomorrow

Plant a Tree You’ll Never See…

Recently, I watched snippets of the Lewis Capaldi documentary on Netflix, and I was blown away by his story. I’ve always loved his music and sung away to his beautiful songs in my daily car trips to and from town for school runs. Not once have I looked into his story and sought to learn more about Lewis and wow does he have quite a remarkable story. What really stood out for me is that humanity, for all its shortfalls, challenges, and difficulties, also has this beautiful, loving, accepting side that has the power to create a space for people from all walks of life. There is this intrinsic ability to accept and embrace in recognition and admiration of talent. Talent is at the core of creation and creation is one of the most wonderful gifts bestowed upon humanity. We are 8 billion artists weaving ourselves into the tapestry of humanity with a profound impact on the future we create for many generations to come.

This month, Paladin Consulting has taken a dream and created something we believe is quite remarkable, the Dundee Digital Skills Hub. The Hub’s launch in Youth Month is no coincidence but a beautiful superimposition of Paladin’s commitment to youth and our country’s collective intentional focus on our most precious asset. The Hub is catalysing new opportunity, hope and energy in a town currently dormant with a rich pool of talent waiting for Business, Social Partners, Government, and us – South Africa citizens – to shift from prejudices and misperceptions to belief in talent in the most unexpected places and people creating the next Lewis Capaldi’s of the Digital Economy.

On the 1st of June, we opened our doors to welcome 14 bright candidates to their new home nestled in the centre of Dundee. Over the period of 12 months, we will be sharing a unique journey with each candidate to not only prepare them for the world of work but to shape them into the youth who will become active agents of change ready to take the baton and run a new race for a South Africa we choose.?

We’d like to take the opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation for our Partners the KwaZulu Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs and Salesforce. These visionary partners have taken the leap with Paladin and are actively co-solutioning a new pathway for talented youth for real social and economic growth underpinned by inclusion.?

It is with the greatest pride and privilege that we introduce to you each one of our Hub candidates in this Youth Month focused article. We asked our candidates to prepare a script on what Youth Month means to them centred around the theme Plant a Tree You’ll Never See.?

Coral Albertse

Director, Paladin Consulting

The quantum leaps in technological advancements greatly impact the status quo of our global economy. Without a doubt, this change has brought about employment uncertainty because it can either close or open doors for opportunities depending on one’s perception and mindset. In a country already confounded with alarming youth unemployment, the uncertainty of future employment opportunities with the integration of Artificial Intelligence in the work ecosystem seeps through the cracks. Therefore, our adaptability and resilience to change become the fundamental benchmarks in defining our employability.

With that being said, I believe that we have to take pride in our journeys because our lived experiences serve a purpose. We have to embrace our unfortunate failures because those are our best teachers. And we must endeavour to become the best versions of ourselves because our authenticity will set us apart from robots. From my own personal experience, starting off my career in the Town Planning profession, then shifting to cattle marketing in rural KZN, to now being the Operations Manager for the Dundee Digital Skills Hub, the dots may seem not to connect, but there was purpose. Through my journey, I have found that I have been able to build up my resilience through hardships and also, I acquired essential transferrable skills that have helped navigate and adapt in unfamiliar environments.

Through impact sourcing and established public-private partnerships, the Dundee Digital Skills Hub is embarking in a pioneering approach to reskilling young South Africans to match the workforce demand globally, while also refining our personal growth and development. I look forward to seeing each and every learner emerge from the Dundee Digital Skills Hub to reintroduce their autonomy to the world and reposition their achieved identities in the professional workplace. And I believe our successes will not only inspire our generation, but our journeys will transcend through generations to come.

Youth Day is a national holiday in South Africa and yet it is not just any holiday, but it honours South Africa’s youth who fought for freedom and opposed colonists that oppressed them. Youth Day reminds me of those youngsters who died in Soweto while fighting for freedom. This day represents development by youth who are our future.

The legacy issues that we have inherited is free and equal education. We now have free and subsidized education aimed at driving equality. We have transcended out of oppression now in a democratic society. Yet there is a challenge regarding impact of democracy and equal education. There is a strong observation that out South African youth are misusing opportunities and resources; vandalization, drugs and alcohol abuse in educational institutions, etc. this negatively impacts on misused opportunities consequently stunts the growth and development of future leaders and their ability to fulfil their dreams regarding education.

In response to this challenge and social crisis, we can introduce programs in schools where we allow youth to share their talent and innovate using new skills and opportunities demonstrating the capabilities. We need interventions to change collective mindset and approach to personal education and future growth to improve motivation and vision so youth can excel.

Youth day is a holiday observed by 18 countries, all celebrated on different dates. In South Africa it is celebrated on June 16, 2023, it is a day whereby we as South Africans celebrate the accomplishments or motive towards a future filled with freedom and to recall the contribution of past youth towards this objective. It recalls the SOWETO UPRISING in June 1976.

What we do today has a drastic impact on our future and future generations to come, yet I don’t believe we are taking this seriously enough. The first step to greatness begins with an education and in today’s modern day South Africa, our education system is failing us. I believe that if we could review the way forward educationally there would be a lot more job opportunities which will create a domino effect on the crime situation – a severe social crisis in which most criminals are under the age of 35.

So, what do I mean when I say, “review the way forward educationally”? I personally think that the curriculum needs to be “edited” in a way to accommodate the creative, productive minds in the school environment, to focus on each learner’s current capabilities and how we can develop and improve on those unique capabilities to help an individual grow and thrive in the learning environment and future workplace rather than try to teach them new things that they may struggle with and will never be able to realise their true potential and talents. It could be as simple as breaking down the GROWTH MINDSET more, which I feel is not spoken about enough in educational institutions.

A promising future starts with knowledge of the past, a great future starts with how we can use the past experiences to mould a better world for us moving forward, in turn creating a prosperous legacy for future generation to build on.

For me Youth Day is a very crucial part of our freedom we experience today. It is a commemoration of the uprising which took place on 16 June 1976, a tragic day in South African history in which many youth lost their lives. Eventually, South Africa was liberated by Nelson Mandela who was our first Democratic president catalysing a new era in 1994.

Today, we are still facing the impacts of the Apartheid legacy characterised by employment disparities and exclusion from the economy by virtue of race. Youth Day for me represents breaking away from the Apartheid legacy and creating a new South Africa with opportunities to access skills and work regardless of race and socio-economic background.

Youth Day is a very important day for young black South Africans as it marks the anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, which was a peaceful student protest that turned into a violent confrontation with the police on June 16, 1976. This event helped spark the anti-apartheid movement and is seen as a defining moment in South Africa's struggle for freedom and equality. It is a day to remember and honour the sacrifices made by young people in the fight against oppression, and to celebrate their resilience, courage, and hope for a better future.

While our country has made great progress since the start of our democracy, there remains educational systemic issues inherited from our Apartheid history negatively impacting South African youth:

• Inadequate resources,
• Overcrowded classrooms, and
• Disparities in educational opportunities.

As a young South African, I believe we can contribute to addressing the challenges we face by:

• Equipping yourself with skills that are in demand and can contribute to the economic development of your community.
• Exploring entrepreneurship opportunities and considering starting a small business that addresses local needs.
• Supporting and mentoring other aspiring young entrepreneurs to foster economic growth in your area.

Remember, collective action is powerful. Collaborate with other young South Africans who share similar goals and aspirations. By working together, you can amplify your impact and contribute to positive change in your community and beyond.

As we pay tribute to the lives of the youth of 1976 who lost their lives fighting for freedom it is important to evaluate the transmission of knowledge and skills into the youth of South Africa. Education plays an important role in the sustainability of our country’s future.

Some challenges from the Apartheid regime still haunt us even today. The quality of education some young South Africans receive is still very poor especially in the rural areas. From the shortage of study material and teachers to the teachers’ inability to efficiently present the learning content. To address these challenges, we need more support from Government and other stakeholders to ensure everyone has all the necessary tools to succeed and minimise the gap between Private and Public schools and drive quality education for all.

My dream is to create a centre in my community to expose the youth to the digital/online resource that they may use to supplement their learning. Sharing my cyber security knowledge and skills with them to ensure that they can securely consume the sizable resources spread across the internet.

To me, Youth Day means that there are young people who once united to fight the injustices of our country. It also reminds me of the power we have as young people to change circumstances that we find ourselves in. It makes me reflect and think about what I am contributing to my community, country, and the world at large. It serves also as a motivation to keep chasing my dreams and impacting the lives of those around me. Lastly, as we celebrate Youth Day we should remember those lives that were shattered in order for us to receive the freedom that we have. But we as youth are in a constant struggle, right now we are fighting things like unemployment, depression, and anxiety. We should continue carrying a baton forward to the next generation.

We as South Africans now have access to free education with no more schooling for whites only, and social grants to support the vulnerable and elderly. However, nowhere is free of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, and poverty which are markedly higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

Unlike cities, though, where high population density tends to make poverty more visible, it can be much harder to see in rural areas, which makes it harder to cope with. We also struggle of corruption, in South Africa impacting on critical infrastructure. I believe, the solution is youth taking a stand to not fight for freedom but to now fight for opportunity and a better future for all.

For me Youth Day means that we get to have equal opportunities regardless of our background. It means we have the opportunity to actually achieve the same goals as the person that comes from a good financial background. Having failed my grade 12 at 16 made me realised that I don’t want to end up in the same cycle as my peers working average jobs with a less than average income. So having gone back at school with a newfound purpose made me excel in my studies which has brought me to where I am today- a proud graduate. So, I got the chance to go to a great tertiary institution and I studied something I was passion about and am quite good at, with the assistance of Nation Student Financial Aid Scheme. I get to be a graduate which is proof that failing once is a lesson; in fact, it is part of my story. The biggest challenges we now face is that there is little to no information about the career planning and enabling in-demand training and tertiary education and we don’t have enough role models who have stories of success which youth can relate to who can then motivate the youth about the importance of furthering their education. However, there is a solution if we were to change the structure of the curriculum so learners study skills that will enable them to get employed. To have more companies like Paladin Consulting that are enriching the youth through the skills that are needed to be head hunted by job creators we can combat our youth unemployment crisis.

Youth Day to me means that there are young people who once united to fight the injustices of our county. It also reminds me of the power we have as young people to change circumstances that we find ourselves in. Also acknowledging the sacrifices of the 1976 youth that fought for our freedom during the Apartheid era and the bettering of our education.

As the brave youth of 1976 fought for what is right at the time for us and for the upcoming generation of youth, they will be forever remembered for their bravery, but all their sacrifices are now slowly fading away because now the 16th of June is considered as a day for the youth to drink alcohol, party and indulge themselves with drugs or sexual actives, but what drives the youth of this generation to alcohol and substance abuse? Is it a coping mechanism to help with depression or anxiety, or boredom? Is it peer pressure in society to be relevant or is it the increasing opening of new taverns in our communities that make it easier to access alcohol and drugs? Taverns, which is a shadow pandemic, has a huge negative impact on our youth. The 21 teens who died at the Enyoben tavern is just one of many examples of this social crisis.

Youth Day is the day in which South Africans commemorate and pay tribute to the lives of the youth of 1976. Youth Day represents the power, unity and impact young people possess to positively impact the world. Furthermore, it challenges the youth today to fight the legacy issues we inherited from Apartheid. South African history of excluding black majority from institutions necessary for growth such as good quality education and private property means there is still a huge amount of youth who are still battling with the systematic barriers impacting upliftment.

According to STATISTA unemployment rate in South Africa from Q1 2019 to Q3 2022 stands at 36.8% for African, 26.5% for coloured, 13.7% for Indians and only 7.8 % for whites meaning there is a significant proportion of South African youth inactive in the labour market. Government intervention is needed to upskill the youth so that they can fend for themselves and create a better future. If South African youth today do not challenge social, economic, and educational inequalities, we are failing to lay a solid foundation for the future generations to come.

The strongest oak tree of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. As we all have various perspectives about the Youth Day, to me Youth Day is the day whereby I celebrate power, unity and how we as young people can make a lasting impact in the world if we work together.

The legacy issue that the youth inherited is that one of singularly concentrating on self-gratification; this is the act that one would forgo short-term pain, and instead, indulge in fleeting pleasures that ultimately result in long-term pain. This is the form of self-sabotage which can make you very susceptible to addictions, jealousy, anger, and impulsive behaviour. It can lead to increased stress, anxiety and being overwhelmed.

Therefore, delaying self-gratification will help one to build self-control and will power, reinforce self-discipline, and teach oneself about the value of patience. Knowing what you want, identifying potential obstacles, building a strong support network, setting clear boundaries, and acknowledging your mistakes, embracing them, and learning from them is so important.

We are now left with a responsibility to take it further and pass it to the next generation. It is in our hands to enhance and value good health. We should be encouraged to strive for meaningful change. “If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table, not a taller fence”.

The concept of planting a tree that you will never see perfectly captures the altruistic act contributing to the future of nature without expecting personal gain. It exhorts people to think beyond their immediate surroundings and have an impact that will last for many years even millennia. This is a gesture that acknowledges the duty we have to future generations planting a tree and giving back. Even though we won’t be present to observe the trees’ entire development and the advantages that result from it, by investing time and effort into planting the seeds of nature, we help to improve the health of our world. This emphasizes the significance of giving our all regardless of the circumstances and offers hope that something better will come out of the things we have invested. This goes hand in hand with providing young people with hope again. This conveys a strong message to our kids and grandkids. They develop a sense of accountability and appreciation as a result of it. Young people are our future’s best hope, so they must take on whatever is thrown at them, make the most of it, and constantly express gratitude to drive a sustainable future.

A huge challenge we face today is that young people nowadays must contend with several issues such as political turmoil, socioeconomic inequality, and climate change. They are expected to develop solutions without guarantee of personal gain while bearing the costs of actions made by earlier generations. This inherited legacy of difficulties presents a chance for young people to reinvent the idea of giving and leaving a lasting impression.

This theme emphasizes the value of unselfish giving and the obligation to bring about beneficial change even when it does not immediately benefit oneself. Young people have the chance to reinvent the meaning of legacy and change the world forever by accepting this challenge. Through their deeds, they uplift others, foster hope, and help to create a more equal, just and sustainable future for future generations.

June 16th, 1976, the beginning of socio-political change. The rise of the black conscious movement began on this day when the youth fought for their rights for bantu education under the Apartheid government.?his was the beginning of greatness, viva bantu education viva! We as young people have a voice, and we can change the future of our country with our voices, this is what the youth of 1976 did, they stood in unity and fought for what they believed was their truth.

Today South Africa stills faces many social challenges, like legacy issues inherited from our Apartheid history, poverty, unemployment, and inequality. Inequality is an issue which is very important to me. Inequality is the state of not being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities. Issues that come with inequality are entrenched in our cultural narratives today which seem to undermine fairness, tolerance, and inclusion. This country fails to invest in vital public services such as education and natural resources.?There is constant discrimination against women, people with disabilities and racial, ethnic and caste minorities. For us to fight inequality we must launch institutions like Human rights watch, invest in ideas, insights, and research like legal service for the poor, community development, and invest in youth to be the change. We must stand behind everyone to help them build themselves. We are the next generation creatives. We will open new opportunities for the next generation. We are the future of the South Africa and together we can do it.

We all have varied perspectives on what Youth Day means to each one of us. For me, Youth Day is a reminder that young people, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, or religion have tremendous power to change whatever situation or challenges we are facing. This day signifies that we are free to venture into whatever careers we aspire to be in. We are free to utilize whatever opportunities we desire. We are the country’s future leaders, and it’s up to us to make the call for change.

The legacy issue that the youth have inherited is the lack of awareness of mental health issues in our communities. Today, mental health is an issue that needs to be addressed in our homes, communities, and society at large. Over the years we have seen a huge rise in suicide among the youth. Young people are facing a lot of issues that some don’t even talk about. Others are left to raise their young siblings, which forces them to become the adults of the house and look after the young ones, meaning they need to find ways to make money which causes mental strain. An additional challenge that young people face is the increase in unemployment, which makes it difficult for them to be independent and chase their dream careers. Mental health has ripple effects on the individual, such as: low self-esteem, it changes the way one thinks and feels, it changes the persons behaviour (the person ends up shutting everyone out of his or her life). For families it causes tension among family members, not knowing what to say or do when one is depressed and always having to watch what you are saying around that person causes members to feel uneasy. In our communities the lack of mental health issues has resulted in the notion that someone who is not working at full capacity needs to seek out conventional healing or is being attacked spiritually.

We need more mental health awareness champions in our communities that will help educate everyone about mental health issues and where to go to seek help. Parents need to help and support their children and create a safe space at home. As young people, we must break the cycle of lack of mental awareness for the next generation; it is our responsibility to go out into our communities and educate and effect change. Teaching my family members will be the first step toward breaking the chain and educating others, who will in turn educate others. I believe that change does not come quickly, but that if we begin, we will reap the rewards later in life.

The major challenges the youth are facing today are an ongoing struggle for quality and free education, and unemployment. The education sector still faces challenges like unequal distribution of resources, inadequate infrastructure, and a critical shortage of quality teachers, especially in rural areas. Slow curriculum coverage, the education is not free. To reform education, equalize resources allocation including infrastructure, learning materials and qualified educators both in rural and urban areas. Improve quality of education by updating curriculum to be more relevant and promote innovating teaching methods.

To get involved or to find out more information about the Dundee Digital Skills Hub contact

Andy Searle | Director, Paladin: [email protected]

Coral Albertse | Director, Paladin: [email protected]