Local Government and Youth Employment: A case of Nkonkobe Local Municipality in South Africa

Abstract

Youth development in South Africa has been of much debate of late given the background of high unemployment and the youth being the most affected. Based on this, this study sought to investigate the effectiveness of the job seekers’ program in the promotion of youth employment. The job seekers’ program is one of the much needed programs offered by different youth advisory centres in Local Municipalities in South Africa. The Nkonkobe youth advisory centre is one of such centres. The main objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the job seekers program towards youth employment in the Nkonkobe municipality. The qualitative methodology used in this study to assess the effectiveness of the job seekers’ program was employed through administering questionnaires to the beneficiaries of this program and also to the officials working at the centre while analysis focused on the activities in place under the job seekers program. Findings portray a number of challenges confronting this program. The Nkonkobe youth advisory centre is understaffed and this affects the effectiveness of the programs that the centre offers to the youths. The youths are also not aware of the centre and the programs it offers. The article argues that the job seekers program has not been effective in meeting its target of reducing youth unemployment in the Nkonkobe municipality. With these observations, the article suggests that much emphasis should be put on the outreach program by so doing the youths will be aware of the centre and the opportunities that it offers them. Moreover, the youths should be centrally involved in their own development in order to improve the effectiveness of the job seekers’ program.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n16p616