Social security for young people amidst high poverty and unemployment: some policy options for South Africa
South African youth experience extremely high levels of unemployment and poverty. Currently there is no social assistance for low-income young adults in South Africa unless they are disabled. Interventions are needed that can achieve widespread poverty alleviation, as well as help facilitate economic participation to improve lifelong earnings. In this article, six examples of social…
read more >>The state of youth: Trends in education attainment
Sheppard provides an overview of the education attainment of the youth in South Africa. He focuses on the 18–24 and 25–35 age cohorts, but also briefly reviews trends in the participation of younger age groups in primary and secondary education, given the impact of their participation rate and education attainment on the youth. The paper…
read more >>The state of youth: A demographic perspective
The share of youth population in South Africa has grown substantially – from 17.9% in 1960 to 20.5% in 2009. This trend is likely to continue into the next decade, with a significant reversal expected from about 2020s. The size and trend in the youth population have many implications for socioeconomic development. From a policy standpoint,…
read more >>The state of youth: Is the health status of youth improving?
This paper examines the health status of South African youth in the past 15 years, using available quantitative data. Specific areas of interest include youth disability, substance abuse, sexual and reproductive behaviour, and HIV and AIDS. The paper also assesses the pattern of health status implied in official statistics on mortality among the youth. The…
read more >>Social grants to promote youth employment: some policy options
South African youth experience extremely high levels of unemployment and poverty. Currently there is no social assistance for low-income young adults in South Africa unless they are disabled. Interventions are needed that can achieve widespread poverty alleviation, as well as help facilitate economic participation to improve lifelong earnings. In this article, six examples of social…
read more >>Strategic interventions to support youth employability
Altman and Marock outline a proposed approach to improving the employability of young people in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. These Strategic Interventions for Youth Employability (SIYE) will become a subset of Tshwane‘s Youth Employment Strategy which is in the process of being designed. These early interventions will therefore focus on specific target groups that have…
read more >>Youth Labour Market Challenges in South Africa
Altman identifies labour market challenges facing South African youth, in view of the high chance of long-term unemployment among young people. She assesses labour market dynamics, questioning whether the economy is creating low-skill jobs, whether education improves people’s chances in the labour market, and whether graduate unemployment is a problem because young people study inappropriate…
read more >>Youth population scenarios: Summary of Phase I theme papers
In 2009, the Department of Social Development commissioned the Human Sciences Research Council to produce theme papers on South Africa’s demographic transition, especially the implications of a growing youth population. A key requirement for any country to benefit from the demographic transition is to significantly broaden and deepen opportunities for young people to develop their…
read more >>The state of youth: Social Dynamics
Potgieter-Gqubule and Ngcobo examine five aspects of the context in which the current generation of young people find themselves: · Material well-being, including access to basic services, poverty and unemployment, education and health · Socialisation of young people, focusing on the family, schools and places of religion · Youth culture and identity · Participation of young people in society, including…
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