South Africa scraps work experience requirement for first time job seekers

Business

The South African government’s plan to phase off work experience requirements for first time job seekers in the public sector has been welcomed by the local people.

“Any attempts to reduce youth unemployment is meant to be welcomed, however the quality of service should not be affected,” Prof. Jannie Rossouw, head of the school of economic and business sciences at University of the Witwatersrand told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Fresh graduates entering the job market will not be required to have work experience for an entry level government job as from April 2019.

The country has been battling high levels of unemployment and Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo on Monday noted that the new plan will be focused on tackling youth joblessness. Dlodlo said the move will not have an impact on services delivered by government.

It will be implemented in such a way that it does not compromise the professional and technical requirements for various fields. All we want is to streamline career paths and align skills,” she noted.

Unions and organizations representing young people have complained for years that work experience requirements for first time job seekers by employers make it difficult and sometimes impossible for young people to enter the job market.

In an interview with Xinhua, South Africa’s largest trade federation COSATU’s spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the move was long overdue.

“This is going to work. The South African government policy needs to change to accommodate mostly black graduates. We should appreciate the fact that there’s no place where they sell experience.”

Pamla said employers should always be willing to offer young people opportunities in order to enable them gain the necessary experience they require.

“Where do you expect these graduates with no experience to get experience from if you are not willing to give them opportunities. People who have graduated should not be treated as if they are illiterate,” Pamla said.

Source: Xinhua

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *