Nation, our young people are in trouble.
Usually, in the run-up to Youth Day, that commemoration of the 1976 Youth Protests against an oppressive education regime under the apartheid government, media companies celebrate the shining lights among our young people.
In addition to Eskom, I fear our light is in danger of being snuffed out.
The latest unemployment stats make for depressing reading – a youth unemployment rate of 46.5%.
That’s almost half of all youth who are unemployed. What kind of future are we building as a nation?
We could easily look at running a Youth Month campaign as IOL, highlighting the successes of our young people – Musa Motha igniting the stage on Britain’s Got Talent, for example – but apart from inspiring our young people, what tangible benefit does it offer the 46.5% of young people who are without a job?
No. As IOL, this Youth Month, we’re going to be bringing to the fore the challenge of unemployment, telling the stories of young people who have struggled to find jobs, but also sharing tips on how to make themselves more marketable and employable.
This is what we call solutions-driven journalism.
We want to help. But we also want to hold to account the myriad government agencies responsible for building up the youth and creating opportunities. We want to hear from universities about how they are preparing young people for the world of work.
This is not a campaign that should come to an end on June 30. Like our Don’t Look Away campaign, it’s something we’d like to keep in the spotlight throughout the year.
Our youth need our help. And we will be here to support them.