Youth unemployment remains one of the biggest social and economic challenges facing South Africa. According to Statistics SA’s recently released youth labour market report, youth unemployment has worsened since 2008 and more young people have given up looking for work.

The report further highlights that in 2015 as many as 3.6-million young people are unemployed and actively seeking work. The National Planning Commission in 2011 stated that there is no doubt that “the sharpest end of the unemployment crisis is felt by South Africa’s youth and that this time bomb is the single greatest risk to social stability in South Africa.” High rates of youth unemployment fuel various societal challenges, including poverty, gender-based violence and crime.
loveLife, South Africa’s national youth leadership development organisation, is proud to announce the launch of the loveLife Leadership Academy. The Academy offers an array of accredited training and self-development skills programmes to bridge the skills gap by providing educational, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Profit generated through the Academy’s training interventions will be invested in loveLife’s youth leadership development programmes.

“It is crucial to develop young people as an alternative narrative for the progressive future of our country – one where despite the very real challenges they face and the social dangers they encounter, they flourish as active, innovative and catalytic agents to shape our shared future,” says Treaty Moshoeshoe, the Managing Director of the loveLife Leadership Academy.

The Academy provides learners with innovative skills and education in the fields of entrepreneurship, personal development and communication as well as project, business and financial management.

Young people enrolled in the Academy can also sign up for its Youth Leadership and Workplace Integration Training Programme, which targets new job entrants and facilitates integration into the workplace. Employers will be sensitised to the passion, power, energy and innovation that youth can unleash if given an opportunity with adequate guidance. Young people carry a wealth of untapped potential that is often lost to the economy and their communities.

The Academy employs a team of permanent employees and freelance facilitators to enable the delivery of quality trainings throughout South Africa. Industry-oriented facilitators have been appointed to ensure that programming is aligned to industry needs. The impact of the Academy in uplifting young people, communities, and indeed, our nation, is sure to be realised for many years to come.

In launching the Academy, loveLife is hosting a breakfast briefing in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. These launches have various objectives including introducing corporate South Africa to an approach to training that doesn’t only provide compliance recognition but one that rewards them with visible social impact made by their contribution. Another objective is to show financial gains organisations can access by engaging with legislation that promotes youth engagement such as the SARS Employee Tax Incentive (ETI), the Skills Development Act (SDA) and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), etc.

If your company or institution has opportunities for young people to gain workplace experience, you can send an email to Treaty Moshoeshoe on [email protected] or (011) 262 0232.