YES CEO Ravi Naidoo on how to tackle SA’s youth unemployment

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the private sector to relax experience as a hiring requirement, where possible, to give as many young people as possible their first jobs. This forms part of a number of initiatives to arrest youth unemployment currently at over 66 percent. To discuss these measures and their effectiveness, CNBC Africa spoke with Ravi Naidoo, Chief Executive Officer at Youth Employment Service (YES). Naidoo emphasized the importance of special dispensations for first-time job seekers, highlighting the success of YES in providing employment opportunities for young individuals coming out of universities or colleges. The program has seen participation from 1,850 corporates, with thousands of young people entering the private sector and receiving valuable work experience. Naidoo stressed the significance of such special programs in equipping youth with the necessary skills and references to enhance their employability. While acknowledging the challenges of hiring individuals without experience in a standard job setting, he underscored the role of tailored initiatives like YES in bridging the gap and creating opportunities for youth to secure meaningful employment. YES operates in conjunction with government initiatives aimed at fostering youth employment, such as the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, which incentivizes companies to engage in youth employment programs to earn BEE points. The partnership between YES and these initiatives underscores the collaborative efforts to address the multifaceted issue of youth unemployment. Naidoo highlighted the program's impact in providing employment opportunities to thousands of young people across various regions, contributing approximately four billion rand in salaries to the economy. He emphasized the importance of economic growth in creating a conducive environment for job creation, underscoring the need for initiatives that align with sustainability goals and promote social impact. Naidoo also addressed the challenges faced by companies in the current economic climate and outlined potential areas for improvement to facilitate job creation. He emphasized the significance of addressing critical issues such as electricity supply, spectrum availability, and port efficiency to support economic growth and job creation. Naidoo further discussed the importance of aligning educational curricula with industry demands to address skills mismatches and enhance the employability of graduates. YES works closely with various stakeholders, including educational institutions and skills development organizations, to bridge the gap between education and employment needs. Naidoo stressed the pivotal role of quality education in equipping youth with the necessary skills for the future job market, emphasizing the need for continuous investment in education and skills development. As South Africa grapples with the pressing challenge of soaring youth unemployment, initiatives like YES are playing a crucial role in creating pathways to employment and fostering sustainable economic growth.