More technical schools will reduce joblessness

SA’s unemployment is alarming, taking into account the youth unemployment rate. Surprisingly, it seems the politicians have reached the ceiling as to how to handle the increasing unemployment, especially among the youth (matriculants and graduates).

Every year when the minister of basic education announces matric results, no-one asks her about the destiny of the matriculants post matric, nor does she indicate their destiny. Some weeks later, SRCs at tertiary institutions will push for the admission of more prospective students.

During the protests for increased enrolments, the minister of higher education joins the party. It seems the main mission of the SRCs is increased intakes at tertiary institutions, with their destiny post-graduate considered immaterial.

The huge unemployment rate is a reflection that we are producing what we cannot consume, or producing what we don’t intend consuming in the foreseeable future. The continued unemployment of graduates proves that there’s a mismatch between our educational outputs and expectations of the labour market from such outputs.

To correct the mismatch, our education system needs to be revamped, to enable it to produce in line with labour market expectations. The focus of our education system must be technically focused, producing more artisans than academics. The government must channel more of its resources into building more technical schools and upgrading the existing ones.

The money spent celebrating matric results can be channelled into technical schools. What's the use of celebrating short-term achievements which might turn into political dilemmas in the long run?

Every day there are adverts for employment opportunities placed in print and electronic media, but the unemployed cannot be absorbed because of the mismatch between our educational institutions and the labour market.

Phepisi Radipere, GaRamokadi-kadi, Limpopo