Page 37 - VC 5 Year Review Report 2022

aimed at engaging South African youth in community basic income grant aimed specifically at unemployed
service activities to strengthen service delivery, youth; abolishing the requirement for experience for
build patriotism, promote nation-building, foster entry-level jobs; providing access to a basic package
social cohesion and to assist the youth to acquire of support, work-readiness training and practical
occupational skills necessary to access sustainable experience; equipping young people with skills in
livelihood opportunities. The National Youth Service, key growth sectors; and providing grant funding and
will recruit its first cohort of 50 000 young people business support for 100 000 young entrepreneurs
in 2022/23, creating opportunities for the youth to over the next three years.
contribute to their communities, develop skills and
enhance employability. Against this backdrop, Mandela University graduates
need to be adaptable lifelong learners with
The government has also introduced the Social transferable knowledge, skills, and competencies that
Employment Fund to create a further 50 000 work can be applied in various contexts. Mandela University
opportunities by accessing the capability of non- tracks graduate employability by administering the
governmental organisations in areas such as urban Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) every two years.
agriculture, early childhood development, public In 2020/21, it was encouraging to note that 69% of
art, and tackling gender-based violence. In addition, all graduate respondents indicated that they were
the National Youth Policy (NYP) outlines various either employed, pursuing postgraduate studies, or
interventions that can be introduced to improve working and pursuing further studies simultaneously
youth unemployment, such as: introducing a new at the time the survey was administered. Furthermore,
74% of the employed respondents indicated that
they were employed in a job related to their field
of study. Of the 27.5% of the graduate respondents
who were still seeking employment, the main
reasons provided for not yet being able to secure a
job included a lack of work experience, lack of jobs
available, lack of opportunities in their field of study,
and being considered either under- or overqualified
for the position applied for.
It was encouraging To address these challenges, student entrepreneurship

to note that 69% is a key focus area for Mandela University, with the
dedicated Madibaz Youth Entrepreneurship Lab
of all graduate established to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem
within the institution. Furthermore, the University
respondents is part of Entrepreneurship Development in Higher
Education (EDHE), which is a national platform
indicated that for the advancement of entrepreneurship at
universities. Through these initiatives, the University
they were either is implementing various programmatic initiatives
such as Student Employability and Entrepreneurship
employed, pursuing Development (SEED) to develop employability
skills, as well as an entrepreneurial mindsets, while
postgraduate also giving students opportunities to expand their
professional networks and learn from experienced
studies, or working peers through a mentorship programme.

and pursuing Strategic resource mobilisation and

further studies responsible stewardship
Mandela University embraces the United Nations
simultaneously. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which
expands the conceptualisation of sustainability

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