Learnerships are one of the most significant catalysts for long-term employment in South Africa.
While South Africa struggles with one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, it is also faced with a shortage of skilled people to fill positions in many sectors. Businesses want workers who can hit the ground running, yet many matriculants don’t have the skills or the understanding of the work environment to make the required impact.
How do we solve this impasse? EduPower Skills Academy’s Sean Sharp says that learnerships are the only solution.
“Learnerships bridge the gap between school and work. They provide essential skills to help young people get onto the employment ladder and once there, build solid career trajectories,” he explains.
In a structured programme, a learnership is typically a 12-month qualification. Through work-based learning, learners can sharpen their knowledge and skills needed for a specific job – all of which prepares them for the workplace. But what are the key skills developed by learnerships? Three learners from EduPower explain the key skills they’ve acquired during their learnerships:
Time Management
Time management in the working world is very different from managing your time at school. Buyiswa Mchunu says she started her learnership with no work experience and had to learn how to manage her time. It’s not only about being on time for work, effective time management is about allocating the right time to the right activity for maximum impact and productivity.
Communication
Unathi Fihlo says that the work experience component of her learnership has allowed her to develop her communication skills. Not only has she learnt how to speak to different people but to express herself in a clear, more succinct manner too.
Problem Solving
Another skill that learners quickly develop through a learnership is problem-solving. Samkelisiwe Ngubane says learning how to approach problems and solve them goes hand-in-hand with communication skills. There is nothing quite like a call centre to make you comfortable with decision-making. It gives you the confidence to identify problems as they arise and come up with effective solutions on the spot!
Computer Skills
When Unathi started her learnership she had never even powered up a computer, let alone worked on one. After only a couple of months though, she was comfortable with a desktop and proficient in several programmes. Digital skills are essential in today’s work environment.
Learn to dream, again
The most important skill that learnerships can teach is the ability to dream BIG. Samkelisiwe dreams of becoming a journalist because she loves news and also wants to help people who live with disabilities. Unathi’s dream is to open her own creche so she can also create employment opportunities in her community. And Buyiswa wants to be financially free to provide for herself, her child and her mother.
Sean says that learnerships not only teach learners the skills they need to prepare them for the world of work but also inspire each of them to dream, lighting a fire that will change their lives forever.
Business can make a fundamental difference by investing in the growth and development of our youth.
“This will mean business gets the practical skills and theoretical knowledge they need, while enabling our youth to become skilled, competent, and well-rounded contributors to South Africa’s economy, workforce and communities,” says Sean.
