Member Insight

SAY YES4 YOUTH AND TAP INTO INNOVATIVE NEW EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE

Sassda recently held a meeting with YES4Youth to explore opportunities and mutual benefits that may exist for our members who make use of this service. The Youth Employment Service (YES) is a private sector-led initiative that addresses the country’s youth unemployment crisis by empowering businesses to create jobs for our unemployed youth.

In terms of why this initiative is of importance to Sassda members, YES is a South African business driven not-for-profit that works in partnership with companies, labour and government to tackle youth unemployment in South Africa by creating 12-month quality work experiences (QWEs) to unemployed youth through the private sector.

Since its inception three and a half years ago, more than 2 200 companies have signed on with YES and its corporate partners have created more than 90 300 jobs. Sassda members can join the movement of over 2 200 companies who not only create opportunities for unemployed youth and build a talent pipeline for their business but also receive a B-BBEE level up or alignment with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy for their investment.

In terms of how YES works with companies to link them up with the right people for the right jobs, companies have two models of participating in the YES program, namely the internal placement model and the implementation partner model. The two models work as follows:

  • Internal placement: Unemployed youth are recruited and managed for the 12-month work experience by the sponsor company. This includes recruiting the youth (as per standard company recruitment models), providing the youth with a 12-month quality work experience opportunity, paying the youth each month, ensuring that both youth and supervisors complete their respective surveys and modules, and achieving absorption requirements.
  • Implementation Partner Model (turnkey solution): This model is also referred to as the turnkey solution. In this model, youth are recruited and managed for the 12-month work experience by a vetted YES partner. Many of these partners are NPOs or SMMEs who work to uplift youth while building communities by placing youth into under-capacitated sectors. This model ensures that companies can integrate YES into the ESG or SDG strategies. https://yes4youth.co.za/yes-turnkey-solution/

Looking ahead, core plans to grow the offering in 2023 include:

  • Additional IPs across sectors including green energy, agriculture and agricultural processing, and artisanal skills – all of which are linked to SASSA
  • Improved monitoring and evaluation through youth nudges, app engagement, call centre engagement
  • Possibly a mental health app to support youth throughout their journey

KEY STATS

  • Youth jobs to date: 91 000+
  • Company level-ups achieved: 915+
  • Economic injection into the economy through YES4Youth salaries: R4.9-Billion

Click here to read more about the real-life YES4Youth success stories and how these could apply to your business