Share

Lack of support structures leads to 30% youth drop-out rate from jobs

accreditation
Christofer Cloete, 21 an unemployed youth in Gelvandele one of PE's ganster infested areas runs a spaza shop to make ends meet. Picture: Lubabalo Ngcukana/City Press
Christofer Cloete, 21 an unemployed youth in Gelvandele one of PE's ganster infested areas runs a spaza shop to make ends meet. Picture: Lubabalo Ngcukana/City Press

As we continue to connect more job seekers to employment and internship opportunities, we have observed a worrying pattern: 30% of those who look for and find employment leave their jobs within the first three months of being employed.

In a country with a youth unemployment rate of 38.2%, these statistics become even more concerning, because no matter how many opportunities government and the private sector provide to young people, unemployment figures will remain relatively high unless the cause of self-exclusion from the labour market is known.

A study conducted by Lulaway found that, of a selected database of young jobseekers, who prequalified for interviews, only 50% arrived for the actual interviews.

These inconsistencies were later attributed by jobseekers to a lack of transport money; not remembering the date of the interview; lack of appropriate interview etiquette; not being able to find the location where the interview was to take place and the job not being in line with their expectations.

To help more jobseekers make it to their interview destinations, Lulaway began offering logistical support in the form of follow-up SMSs, reminders of dates and location to all potential candidates.

Of those who made it past the interview stages and were placed in a job, 16% would self-select themselves out of the work place in the first month of employment, and 30% would drop out in three months.

Our study revealed that reasons for dropping out were linked to the new recruits finding work too overwhelming as they were not formally inducted into the workplace.

Others did not know how to deal with the rules and procedures that governed the institution they were employed at.

A lack in communication skills was another, as they could not thoroughly express their conflicts.

Others were dismissed due to inappropriate conduct such as arriving late, not reporting to the correct line manager or failing to produce quality work on time.

Lack of motivation and insufficient training were also named as contributing factors. Some, this being their first job, did not take it seriously enough.

Through engaging with the candidates who dropped out, Lulaway was able to understand that most of them met the technical requirements but lacked the “work-readiness skills” that would allow them to retain employment.

Work readiness skills are those competencies that contribute to the employability of a person, beyond their technical and educational skills sets.

They include understanding codes of conduct, how to present themselves to be marketable for employment, communication skills, teamwork and confidence building.

This lack of work readiness in jobseekers can be linked to the bankruptcy of young people’s social capital.

Social capital incorporates the links, shared values and understandings in society that enable individuals and groups to trust each other and be able to work together so that the group or individuals within the society can thrive.

These links include family; close and distant friends; colleagues and associates; and people who may be further up or lower than us on the social ladder.

With this understanding of social capital, it is easy to see how most of young people have little social capital to draw on. Most live in a society that is ravaged by poverty, violence, crime and HIV/Aids.

They lack skills, credentials, role models and mentors, all which form the basis of social capital and enable the securing of employment.

This is backed up by research that indicates that having family members and friends who are employed increases one’s chances of finding and remaining in employment.

These high numbers of attrition have a knock-on effect. They not only negatively affect the future of jobseekers, but also impact businesses in the form of recruitment and training costs associated with new employees.

Employers are then often reluctant to permanently hire entry-level employees due to the uncertainty surrounding their career’s longevity.

They also lose productive hours when inducting and training new candidates.

To counter this, employers often rely on labour brokers, which offer little or no long-term employment progression or job security.

With no growth or security, employees often leave the company in search of employment with better offerings.

Job hopping is often poorly regarded by employers as it reflects a lack of commitment and consistency on the part of employees.

This, in turn, affects the future employability of the early self-excluding candidates, as most entry level jobseekers do not have a comprehensive resume and often rely on work experience to bolster their employment opportunities.

Without the relevant work experience, employees often feel stuck and after multiple early employment drop outs, they eventually give up looking for work and become permanently excluded from actively participating in the economy, forming the 32.4% of young people between ages of 15 and 24 who are not in employment, education or training.

This then becomes a cycle as employers tend to want employees with work experience, but having dropped out, these young people lack such and are further permanently excluded from the job market” he adds.

To encourage employees to stay in employment for longer, Lulaway began informally supporting these candidates over the phone.

They called them periodically, gave them encouragement as well advise on how to deal with workplace challenges.

They coached them through conflict management, expectation management and provided general emotional support.

When these candidates did not have a mentor to turn to for guidance and encouragement, Lulaway became that mentor.

In addition, Lulaway is rolling out Absa’s work-readiness programme, ReadytoWork, which is a pan-African project aimed at equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to make the critical transition from education to work through digital and face-to-face learning journeys.

Employers can also help by paying weekly transport subsidies; providing uniforms (where the cost is deducted in small monthly increments); conducting all-encompassing induction sessions; and offering logistical support for new candidates.

Lulaway’s study found that once a person remained employed for a period of six months, they gained confidence in their ability to be resilient and endure workplace challenges.

Having gained confidence in themselves, they began to contribute towards their work environment and were able to do the same financially for their family.

They were recognised and often promoted for displaying attributes like reliability and dependability.

In a country where one in three young people is unemployed, it is important to understand why these statistics remain so high.

Without interrogating these figures and linking them to socioeconomic conditions, both the government and private sector will continue to pour resources into fighting unemployment without any tangible results.

New jobseekers need employers to be understanding of the challenges they face when they first enter the workplace and structure the organisation so it is welcoming and supportive of these candidates.

Only then can a real difference be made in tackling youth unemployment.

Jake Willis is chief executive of Lulaway, a youth employment engine.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you believe that the various planned marches against load shedding will prompt government to bring solutions and resolve the power crisis?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes
21% - 103 votes
No
79% - 399 votes
Vote