Idle youths worry Nzimande

2009-07-02 20:10

Johannesburg - Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande raised the alarm on Thursday about the high number of unemployed youths.

Reiterating figures he presented to Parliament last week, he said 2.8 million out of 6.8 million youths between the ages of 18 and 24 were doing nothing.

Nzimande told delegates at the Congress of SA Trade Unions' education and skills conference in Johannesburg: “They are neither in employment, nor in an education institution, nor in any training. In other words, they are doing nothing”.

He said these youths were vulnerable to exploitation as casual labourers or being drawn into crime due to limited access to training, poor resources and a restricted job market.

"We can't allow this situation to continue without doing something drastic about it."

He said the ministerial report on post-compulsory and post-school provision, commissioned by his predecessor Naledi Pandor, painted a "grim picture" with this finding on 41% of the country's youth.

He said the topics of the conference, which include access to education and skilling people, formed part of the wider solution.

He called for a re-think of the country's skills development strategy and relationships between further education and training colleges, universities of technology, the National Skills Fund and the Sector Education and Training Authorities.

- SAPA