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YOU(TH) FOR YOU(TH)

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]It’s the start of a new year and we are sure many of you are looking to your future wondering “what is next?”.

In the first edition of 2022’s You(th) for You(th) we are looking at employment and education.

Activists tell us about their concerns around unemployment in South Africa and how they would re-imagine education.

We have some insights from Capital Youth on why it is important to get certified and how it affects your job prospects, and links to CV resources, as well as tips and advice when job hunting and interviewing for a job from Amnesty International South Africa’s head of HR James Jairos.

We also hear from school pupils what they would like education in South Africa to look like.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Amnesty International South Africa’s youth newsletter and we look forward to engaging with you this year.

If you have ideas of what you would like to read about, please send us an email with your suggestions to youth@amnesty.org.za.

Phambili Phezulu (Onwards and upwards!)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1623267126932{background-color: #000000 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”large-heading”]

UNEMPLOYMENT & REIMAGINING EDUCATION

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Luyanda Nzuza

Youth Activist, KwaZulu-Natal

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Zilungile Mbali

Youth Activist, East London

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Boyca Motaung

Youth Activist, Savannah City, Gauteng

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WHAT SOUTH AFRICAN LEARNERS NEED

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REIMAGINE EDUCATION

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Tell us how you reimagine education in South Africa

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#CERTIFYUS

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If you struggled to complete your education journey, please know that you’re not alone! Did you know that 6 in 100 young South Africans who start Grade 1 complete some kind of post-school qualifications?

Why #CertifyUs matters

As we spoke to young South Africans about their experiences of unemployment, it became clear that an education qualification is a powerful accelerator on the road to quality work, making it far more likely that young people find jobs, keep them, and earn good salaries. Even on its own, a matric certificate increases our chances of finding work. When used as a gateway to a tertiary qualification or further training, our chances of being employed are doubled. Over the course of the COVID-19 lockdown, we’ve seen that the more qualified we are, the more protected we are from salary cuts and job losses.

The power of qualifications comes from their ability to signal our knowledge and skills. Colleges, universities, and employers treat official qualifications as the best – and often the only – way of assessing young people’s eligibility for training, further education, and employment.

But too many of us study without getting certified.

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We don’t get the support we need to complete our qualifications or re-write our matric exam; our transcripts and certificates are withheld from us because of historical debt or unhelpful administrative rules; and some of us are unable to complete the practical components of our qualifications. Even if we can access it, a statement of results doesn’t carry as much weight as a certificate.

Certification is a green-light on the road to quality work, signalling our abilities to institutions and employers, and opening a gateway to our next opportunity. Without it, many of us are left stuck. Join us in easing the journey for young people by sharing your story and supporting upcoming campaigns!

Youth Capital

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Youth Capital is a youth-led advocacy campaign to join the dots between existing evidence with young people’s experiences of unemployment. As a youth-led advocacy campaign, we felt that the voices of young people needed to be meaningfully included to understand, reframe, and tackle the issue.

Their experiences shaped the Action Plan, Youth Capital’s shared agenda to solve youth unemployment; the Plan prioritises ten systemic roadblocks that stop young people from having the skill, opportunities and support to find employment.

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CV resources

What’s in a CV? Listen to The Knowledge Trust, they know what works (blog post here). We also like these templates.

Some cover letter templates we like (here)

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TIPS & ADVICE

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Amnesty International South Africa’s head of Human Resources James Jairos provides some tips and insights into job hunting and how to conduct yourself during an interview.

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YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES

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NETFLIX CREATIVE EQUITY SCHOLARSHIP FUND

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Netflix has committed US$1 Million towards a Creative Equity Scholarship Fund (CESF) in Sub-Saharan Africa that will provide financial support to African creatives to access quality tertiary education in film and TV-focused disciplines at sought-after academic programmes/institutions.

This is part of Netflix’s ongoing efforts to invest in Africa’s creative industries and for more diverse and new voices to tell African stories.

[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Apply Here” style=”custom” custom_background=”#ffff00″ custom_text=”#000000″ align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftshikululu.org.za%2Fcase-study%2F2022-netflix-creative-equity-scholarship-fund%2F” el_class=”amnesty-button large-heading”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_class=”large-heading” css=”.vc_custom_1643623113509{margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”]

LEAD(H)ER FELLOWSHIP

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Lead(H)er stands for “she is a leader” and the Fellowship was conceptualized with the aim of supporting young women in Africa by nurturing their skills, expertise and aspirations in the fields of Politics, Economics/Business and Peace and Security.

The aim of the Fellowship is to provide a safe space for Young Women who haven’t been exposed much to regional and international opportunities, while amplifying their impact at local and grassroots levels.

[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Apply Here” style=”custom” custom_background=”#ffff00″ custom_text=”#000000″ align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fforms%2Fd%2F1HssJSyy0Ppgdagg3uw8T_IHt34acr2NXwC5Wnz9S89s%2Fviewform%3Fts%3D61f00754%26edit_requested%3Dtrue%23settings” el_class=”amnesty-button large-heading”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text el_class=”large-heading” css=”.vc_custom_1643623760586{margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”]

U REPORT

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Share your thoughts on key issues, to influence policy and decision makers. Connect to U-Report, UNICEF’s forum where you can speak out on issues that you care about and have a positive change on your community.

You can connect and participate by Facebook, WhatsApp or Viber.

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TAKE ACTION

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QUALITY EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WAYS TO GIVE OUR CHILDREN A BRIGHT FUTURE.

But South Africa’s education system is facing major challenges, failing learners across the nation with poor infrastructure, the lack of decent sanitation, including the continued use of pit toilets, and the absence of essential amenities such as libraries, laboratories and sport facilities.

The government’s own statistics show that it is continuing to miss its targets for infrastructure upgrading.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]It is time the government:

Provide all schools with essential resources to teach basic, quality skills in reading and numeracy.
Work to improve infrastructure by replacing pit latrines in every school with safe, hygienic toilets.

Stand with us in calling on our political leaders to prioritise and commit to ensuring quality education is a reality for all in South Africa.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_btn title=”Take Action Here” style=”custom” custom_background=”#000000″ custom_text=”#ffff00″ align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Famnesty.org.za%2Faction%2Fmake-quality-education-a-reality-for-all-in-south-africa%2F” el_class=”amnesty-button large-heading”][/vc_column][/vc_row]