by TINTSWALO BALOYI 
JOHANNESBURG – SOUTH Africa is set to launch additional measures to cushion youths from rising unemployment and enable the full participation of young people in the economy.

President Cyril Ramaphosa disclosed the plans on Monday, two days before the country commemorates the annual Youth Day.

Among initiatives to be launched include the National Pathway Management Network and SA Youth, anticipated to make it easier for young people to view and access opportunities and receive active support to find pathways into the labour market.

These are among the priority actions of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, which was launched weeks before South Africa entered a national lockdown last year.

Ramaphosa said the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention was built on the understanding that addressing the youth unemployment crisis requires innovative thinking and strong partnerships across society.

“Its ultimate objective is to find models that work, whether in skills development or active labour market policies and to scale these models rapidly to reach as many young people as possible,” he explained.

The president said most importantly, it recognises that young people must be at the centre of any effort to boost youth employment.

“Young people are our greatest asset and our greatest weapon in this fight. As we pay tribute to the youth whose courageous activism won us our freedom, we also salute the resilience of every young person who is playing their part to build and develop this country.”

June 16 commemorates the fateful events of that particular day in 1976.

On that day, apartheid forces opened fire on black students protesting against Bantu Education.

– CAJ News