The National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC) at the occasion of the hand over of the Beaufort West Youth Hub, Beaufort West.Image: Kopano Tlape GCIS
Increasing unemployment causes a lot of devastation in society as a whole, while impacting on a lot of issues, such as poverty, increased crime rates and also suicide-related deaths. The issue of unemployment is also derived from a lack of skill sets, illiteracy and not overlooking the lack of opportunity for those who have the required and necessary skills.
As much as we can continuously blame the government for not being able to deliver on most of its promises, it is worth noting that there are efforts that government departments do to try and bridge the unemployment gap.
To dent the scourge of youth unemployment, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development introduced implementations to support and capacitate rural communities through the National Rural Youth Service Corps programme.
Through this youth programme, the department equips rural youth with different skill sets ranging from leadership skills, civic engagement and social interaction.
Since its inception, the programme has created a cohort of young, vibrant, disciplined and patriotic leaders who facilitate change within their communities.
This is achieved by the fact that the recruited youth undergo skills training to equip them with different community-based skills that not only make them earn a living but contribute towards nation building.
Sinazo Alungile Novukela
Mount Frere