Let’s skill the youth of South Africa, and fuel country’s industrial transformation

SOUTH Africa stares down a ticking time bomb: over 45% youth unemployment threatens to detonate our future. Our young people—our greatest asset—rot on the sidelines while industries like energy and construction beg for skilled hands.

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The nation’s growth hinges on a vital, overlooked connection: empowering youth to fuel industrial transformation. This is not a pipe dream; it is a moral duty. Tackling the core of stagnation demands dismantling structural barriers, embracing technology, and forging a united front where government, industry, and civil society unite to:

Revise and streamline policy frameworks.

Reform initiatives like the National Youth Policy (2020-2030) with clear, measurable targets and robust monitoring systems to ensure accountability and inter-departmental coordination.

Invest in targeted skilling initiatives.

Prioritise sectors poised for mass employment—advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, and digital innovation—drawing from successful models like Brazil’s learnerships and India’s Skill India. This includes specialised artisan training programs for high-demand skills like welding, where global shortages—such as those for welders on boiler systems and 1st/2nd-class welding techniques—can transform lives and industrialise alike.