In the metro-wide campaign to create jobs for thousands of graduates, partnership and skills development will be key to ensuring these become sustainable careers.
Following a stakeholders event hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip last week, numerous businesses have rolled up their sleeves and joined his initiative to reduce the city’s youth unemployment rate of 50%.
Since Trollip launched the programme in February, more than 6 000 graduates have registered on the municipality’s database, eager to gain any experience that will improve their employment chances.
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber chief executive Nomkhita Mona said they hoped to rectify the present skills mismatch between academic institutions and businesses through collaboration.
“We want our universities and TVET colleges to start producing skills that are required by industry,” Mona said.
“The chamber is keen to see the mayor’s programme take a strategic trajectory wherein the reduction of unemployment levels and the alignment of skills to what the industry needs can be dealt with.”
Shatterprufe managing director Dave Coffey said businesses and the government needed to create a strategy for the skills that would be needed in future.
“That will go some way towards alleviating unemployment, because we’d have skilled people who we know will be in demand,” he said.Mandela Bay Development Agency chief executive Ashraf Adam said the agency had to implement projects that addressed current and future issues. “We already have an [agreement] with Nelson Mandela University and this will be a key instrument in channelling new graduates into projects.
“The intention is to draw fresh and dynamic input whilst also offering an opportunity to gain on-the-job experience.”
Guy Taylor, manager of Raizcorp prosperator which has already signed up 40 graduates to develop their own businesses, urged graduates to consider entrepreneurship as their next step.
“We are hoping to convince some of the graduates on the database to start thinking of opening up their own businesses instead of waiting for a job to open up for them,” he said.
“Being an entrepreneur is not for sissies, but the impact can be huge as far as reducing unemployment in the metro is concerned.”
Trollip said the partnership developing between the metro, the university and business was a collaboration that could change lives.
“The municipality is committed to creating an economic environment in which business can thrive, the university is committed to addressing skills gaps and conducting relevant research, and business is committed to creating jobs.
“This is how a city transforms and we thank every stakeholder for turning the [programme] into a movement that will surely take Nelson Mandela Bay to new heights.”