When Kabelo, 27, chose a career in electrical engineering he thought getting a job would be easy as it was in high demand. Three years later, armed with a trade test and a couple of internships under his belt, he is struggling to find employment.
Kabelo, who asked not to be identified, said his dreams of getting a full-time job have been dashed by a recently published second quarterly employment report by Stats SA, which shows that electricity is one of the industries that has shown a decrease in employment.
“I studied electrical engineering at Motheo College in Bloemfontein. However, since completed my N6 certificate I have done a numerous internships [and] that’s just about it. Some companies required a trade test certificate but now that I have it I don’t even get calls for interviews,” Kabelo said.
“I still depend on my parents for basic things and they are also helping to support my kids. As a result I am in the process of registering my own company, maybe things will be better."
Mfundo Motaung, 24, who obtained a diploma in film and TV production at City Varsity, said he had lost hope of getting employment. “I am tired of the rejection letters I always get. I have tried my luck with data capturing and even applied at retail stores but I got nothing. It’s really frustrating and I am thinking of going back to school to study something else,” he said.
It is not only the youth who are affected by unemployment but also those who are above the ages of 35. Mmatlou Tsipa, the founder and the national chairperson of the Forgotten Nation SA, a group that represents people who are above 35 as they feel the government have left them in the dark when it comes to job opportunities.
Tsipa said the movement was established in February to address the inequalities and challenges faced by the unemployed people who are over 35.
“It’s difficult to get a job when you are above 35. We no longer have reference checks because we have been idling for a long time, people are blacklisted because they have been in and out of jobs and they lack experience to compete in job markets. The government is giving incentives to private companies to hire young people but it forgets that each day everyone in this country turns 36 as an unemployed person. This age group is more affected by depression, they suffer health issues simply because they have been written off not only by society but the families they come from,” he said.
The movement has about 52,000 followers on Facebook.
Tandile Mlawu, 44, of KwaZakhele in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, said he had enrolled in university when he was 38 because of the situation at his home.
“I have since managed to graduate with a BA media communication and culture degree and BA Hons in media studies. However, my dreams of establishing a formidable career have been dashed by the ageism policy in the government’s recruitment drive programmes, which only prioritise graduates younger than 35 years for internships, in-service training and entry-level opportunities,” he said.
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