It is no secret that students do not complete their chosen degrees because of a lack of career guidance. According to research by the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), 37% of young people between the ages of 15 to 24 are Not in Employment, Education, and Training (NEET). Stats SA describes this group as “disengaged from the labour market” and defines them as “young people who have been discouraged with the labour market and who are also not building on their skills base through education and training.
For those who are fortunate enough to find or create employment, it is also a well-known fact that a vast majority of jobs now require a specific set of 21st-century skills geared for the current Information Age. This makes it crucial for young people to learn these skills in secondary school.
Our vision as Trevor Noah Foundation is to create “a world where education enables the youth to dream, see and build the impossible”. We are committed to equipping youth with the requisite skills and tools, as well as creating a conducive environment for them to thrive. Partners such as Gradesmatch and YouthBuild South Africa, continuously play a monumental role in helping us achieve this goal.
Supplementary to the career guidance we offer in the classroom, on 10 and 17 September, we hosted our first-ever Khulani Schools career expos at Siyabonga and Willow Crescent Secondary Schools, respectively, as part of our career guidance programme.
The career expos were also specifically targeted at Grade 9 and 11 learners, given that these are crucial grades for subject choice and post-school career options. The expos provided a platform for learners to be exposed to, explore and gather information about future career opportunities while receiving first-hand access to potential employers and mentors.
We were fortunate to have a special visit from 1989 Willow Crescent Secondary alumna Deborah Morris, now business development manager and registered nurse. She encouraged learners by sharing her journey on how her life turned out after graduating from Willow Crescent Secondary.
Watch the recap below.
It was a delight to witness the successful turnout and high engagement level at each expo. With our goal of impacting 15 000 youth by 2025, we are proud to say that we are on the right track. We’d like to thank all the guests and exhibitors who joined us at the schools for committing their time and effort to contribute to the development of our youth.
