Groundbreaking partnership to combat youth unemployment

In a daring move to address the high unemployment rate among South Africa’s youth, McDonald’s South Africa and the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) announced a skills development partnership that will see 80% of the trainees absorbed into full-time positions at the popular fast-food chain.

The initiative was launched at the McDonald’s headquarters in Sandton.

It comes amid concerns over the lack of jobs for young people, among others, with the youth unemployment rate currently sitting at 60.8%.

With the ongoing economic challenges in creating jobs and with more individuals becoming unemployed, CATHSSETA Board Chairperson, David Themba Ndhlovu, implored the skills development agency’s private sector partners to move beyond simply providing certificates to young people.

“The time to end things at just giving the youth certificates is over,” Ndhlovu stated.

McDonald’s South Africa CEO, Greg Solomon, echoed Ndhlovu’s statement, shedding light on the responsibility that the private sector has in skilling young people.

“Education comes in many forms and is not solely the responsibility of higher education institutions. Companies must take on a social responsibility to expose and prepare young people for the workforce,” Solomon explained.

He says the company’s commitment to education and training is revealed by its Hamburger University, one of only nine such institutions worldwide.

Currently, McDonald’s has 1 654 individuals on its payroll through this programme, a number that these two establishments hope will grow significantly as the partnership progresses.

The partnership also includes stipends provided by CATHSSETA to support the trainees during their education and training.

The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela, said the 7th administration’s aim for the next five years is not just to get more people skilled, but also to guarantee that they can use their expertise to start businesses which in turn will create employment for their peers.

“We have to make sure that at some point, youth unemployment is not a stress, and it has to be a combination of skills development and actions that lead to adding to economic growth,” Manamela said. Written by Karabo Peter