The Transition of Youth from School to Work: Issues and Policies (IIEP, 2000, 188 p.): Chapter V. Youth and work in South Africa: issues, experiences and ideas from a young democracy by Adrienne Bird: Introduction

The Transition of Youth from School to Work: Issues and Policies (IIEP, 2000, 188 p.)

Chapter V. Youth and work in South Africa: issues, experiences and ideas from a young democracy by Adrienne Bird

		Introduction
		1. Unemployment and recession
		2. Social dimensions of unemployment
		3. Government responses to unemployment
		4. School and skill issues for young people
		5. Government responses - education and training
		6. What does this all mean from the perspective of a young person?
		Conclusion

Introduction

South Africa held its first democratic election in April 1994. From this vantage point it is possible to look both back and forward. Looking back does not just mean looking at the apartheid heritage, but at shifts which have occurred since 1994. It is therefore possible to begin to evaluate the short-term impact of the new government's interventions. Looking forward reveals the imperative to prioritize and plan optimum-impact implementation measures against a daunting range of challenges is all too clear.

This paper starts by providing an overview of the labour market and the position of young people within it. The analysis does not provide a highly textured understanding of the social position of young people, but even an overview is not complete without some consideration of the effects of HIV/AIDS and poverty. The paper then describes the education and training system and outlines the ways it is being moulded to support economic and employment growth and social development in the country.

Against this backdrop, the conclusion provides some reflection on policy implementation challenges which lie ahead and some of the ideas under discussion.