Rationale for the Youth Leadership Programme
The Youth Leadership Programme is intended to respond to the many challenges that young people are confronted with throughout South Africa. These challenges include a high rate of unemployment, poverty, crime and substance abuse. Unemployment affects a wide range of young people from matriculants to graduates.
The South African economy has not grown to a level of creating new jobs and young people are seriously affected by the problem of unemployment due to economic stagnation.
It is estimated that youth in South Africa constitute 52% of the unemployed population and this calls for efforts aimed at empowering youth with relevant skills that would increase their chances to create jobs and gain employment. It also calls for the mobilisation of young people to design solutions on issues that affect them directly.
This calls for efforts aimed at empowering youth with relevant skills that would increase their chances to create jobs and gain employment. It also calls for the mobilisation of youth to design solutions on issues that affect them directly and their communities.
Youth leadership programme goal
“To provide youth from all walks of life a platform that will enable them to lead and become agents of their own change”.
Implied in this goal is that youth should work together to find and implement solutions to issues that directly affect them and their communities, schools and the nation at large.
Programme Objectives
• To create a space for youth to identify challenges in their communities and come up with relevant solutions
• To mobilise youth to take action on matters that affect them, their families and communities where they are
• To groom leaders and instil a sense of responsibility and accountability
Approach
The youth leadership programme facilitates the participation and empowerment of youth in issues that affect them, in shaping a society that is attentive and responsive to their rights, needs, concerns, abilities and aspirations. The programme includes formation of Youth Think Tanks who are Agents of their own change by collaborating with the Fund to create youth friendly programmes which take into account their concerns, challenges, needs and aspirations. This programme is divided into four focus areas which are youth leadership, civic participation, children’s rights and youth entrepreneurship.
Characteristics of Youth
The youth under this programme will belong to the ages of 12 to 22 years in line with the Fund’s criteria for suitability to activities designed by the youth programme.
YOUTH “THINK TANKS”
The Youth “Think Tanks” is an identity which will prevail across different pillars of the youth programme, being youth leadership, civic participation, human rights and youth entrepreneurship. The “Think Tanks” are virtual structures which generate thinking, debates, discussions, peer learning, advocacy and practical solutions among young people on matters that concern their development. Essentially, the youth programme carries four different pillars where all thinking, collected under the programmatic domains will be subject to “Think Tanks” as progressive stages to target interactions with different statutory and non-statutory structures.
The Youth Leadership Programme is intended to respond to the many challenges that young people are confronted with throughout South Africa. These challenges include a high rate of unemployment, poverty, crime and substance abuse. Unemployment affects a wide range of young people from matriculants to graduates.
The South African economy has not grown to a level of creating new jobs and young people are seriously affected by the problem of unemployment due to economic stagnation.
It is estimated that youth in South Africa constitute 52% of the unemployed population and this calls for efforts aimed at empowering youth with relevant skills that would increase their chances to create jobs and gain employment. It also calls for the mobilisation of young people to design solutions on issues that affect them directly.
This calls for efforts aimed at empowering youth with relevant skills that would increase their chances to create jobs and gain employment. It also calls for the mobilisation of youth to design solutions on issues that affect them directly and their communities.
Youth leadership programme goal
“To provide youth from all walks of life a platform that will enable them to lead and become agents of their own change”.
Implied in this goal is that youth should work together to find and implement solutions to issues that directly affect them and their communities, schools and the nation at large.
Programme Objectives
• To create a space for youth to identify challenges in their communities and come up with relevant solutions
• To mobilise youth to take action on matters that affect them, their families and communities where they are
• To groom leaders and instil a sense of responsibility and accountability
Approach
The youth leadership programme facilitates the participation and empowerment of youth in issues that affect them, in shaping a society that is attentive and responsive to their rights, needs, concerns, abilities and aspirations. The programme includes formation of Youth Think Tanks who are Agents of their own change by collaborating with the Fund to create youth friendly programmes which take into account their concerns, challenges, needs and aspirations. This programme is divided into four focus areas which are youth leadership, civic participation, children’s rights and youth entrepreneurship.
Characteristics of Youth
The youth under this programme will belong to the ages of 12 to 22 years in line with the Fund’s criteria for suitability to activities designed by the youth programme.
- Priority will be given to youth groups or individual youth who either express interest in being agents of change or already belong to youth activities that determine and/or influence their change and development as well as having a passion for community development.
- The programme will be inclusive of all young people, irrespective of their gender, economic backgrounds, indigenous backgrounds, and disabilities. Physical challenges will not be a limitation to consideration for active participation in the Fund’s youth leadership programme.
- Unemployed young people who are matriculants, graduates from tertiary institutions and out of school are some of the youth characteristics under consideration.
YOUTH “THINK TANKS”
The Youth “Think Tanks” is an identity which will prevail across different pillars of the youth programme, being youth leadership, civic participation, human rights and youth entrepreneurship. The “Think Tanks” are virtual structures which generate thinking, debates, discussions, peer learning, advocacy and practical solutions among young people on matters that concern their development. Essentially, the youth programme carries four different pillars where all thinking, collected under the programmatic domains will be subject to “Think Tanks” as progressive stages to target interactions with different statutory and non-statutory structures.
Youth Leadership - Youth Think Tanks
Rationale for the Youth Leadership Programme
The Youth Leadership Programme is intended to respond to the many challenges that young people are confronted with throughout South Africa. These challenges include a high rate of unemployment, poverty, crime and substance abuse. Unemployment affects a wide range of young people from matriculants to graduates.
The South African economy has not grown to a level of creating new jobs and young people are seriously affected by the problem of unemployment due to economic stagnation.
It is estimated that youth in South Africa constitute 52% of the unemployed population and this calls for efforts aimed at empowering youth with relevant skills that would increase their chances to create jobs and gain employment. It also calls for the mobilisation of young people to design solutions on issues that affect them directly.
This calls for efforts aimed at empowering youth with relevant skills that would increase their chances to create jobs and gain employment. It also calls for the mobilisation of youth to design solutions on issues that affect them directly and their communities.
Youth leadership programme goal
“To provide youth from all walks of life a platform that will enable them to lead and become agents of their own change”.
Implied in this goal is that youth should work together to find and implement solutions to issues that directly affect them and their communities, schools and the nation at large.
Programme Objectives
• To create a space for youth to identify challenges in their communities and come up with relevant solutions
• To mobilise youth to take action on matters that affect them, their families and communities where they are
• To groom leaders and instil a sense of responsibility and accountability
Approach
The youth leadership programme facilitates the participation and empowerment of youth in issues that affect them, in shaping a society that is attentive and responsive to their rights, needs, concerns, abilities and aspirations. The programme includes formation of Youth Think Tanks who are Agents of their own change by collaborating with the Fund to create youth friendly programmes which take into account their concerns, challenges, needs and aspirations. This programme is divided into four focus areas which are youth leadership, civic participation, children’s rights and youth entrepreneurship.
Characteristics of Youth
The youth under this programme will belong to the ages of 12 to 22 years in line with the Fund’s criteria for suitability to activities designed by the youth programme.
YOUTH “THINK TANKS”
The Youth “Think Tanks” is an identity which will prevail across different pillars of the youth programme, being youth leadership, civic participation, human rights and youth entrepreneurship. The “Think Tanks” are virtual structures which generate thinking, debates, discussions, peer learning, advocacy and practical solutions among young people on matters that concern their development. Essentially, the youth programme carries four different pillars where all thinking, collected under the programmatic domains will be subject to “Think Tanks” as progressive stages to target interactions with different statutory and non-statutory structures.
The Youth Leadership Programme is intended to respond to the many challenges that young people are confronted with throughout South Africa. These challenges include a high rate of unemployment, poverty, crime and substance abuse. Unemployment affects a wide range of young people from matriculants to graduates.
The South African economy has not grown to a level of creating new jobs and young people are seriously affected by the problem of unemployment due to economic stagnation.
It is estimated that youth in South Africa constitute 52% of the unemployed population and this calls for efforts aimed at empowering youth with relevant skills that would increase their chances to create jobs and gain employment. It also calls for the mobilisation of young people to design solutions on issues that affect them directly.
This calls for efforts aimed at empowering youth with relevant skills that would increase their chances to create jobs and gain employment. It also calls for the mobilisation of youth to design solutions on issues that affect them directly and their communities.
Youth leadership programme goal
“To provide youth from all walks of life a platform that will enable them to lead and become agents of their own change”.
Implied in this goal is that youth should work together to find and implement solutions to issues that directly affect them and their communities, schools and the nation at large.
Programme Objectives
• To create a space for youth to identify challenges in their communities and come up with relevant solutions
• To mobilise youth to take action on matters that affect them, their families and communities where they are
• To groom leaders and instil a sense of responsibility and accountability
Approach
The youth leadership programme facilitates the participation and empowerment of youth in issues that affect them, in shaping a society that is attentive and responsive to their rights, needs, concerns, abilities and aspirations. The programme includes formation of Youth Think Tanks who are Agents of their own change by collaborating with the Fund to create youth friendly programmes which take into account their concerns, challenges, needs and aspirations. This programme is divided into four focus areas which are youth leadership, civic participation, children’s rights and youth entrepreneurship.
Characteristics of Youth
The youth under this programme will belong to the ages of 12 to 22 years in line with the Fund’s criteria for suitability to activities designed by the youth programme.
- Priority will be given to youth groups or individual youth who either express interest in being agents of change or already belong to youth activities that determine and/or influence their change and development as well as having a passion for community development.
- The programme will be inclusive of all young people, irrespective of their gender, economic backgrounds, indigenous backgrounds, and disabilities. Physical challenges will not be a limitation to consideration for active participation in the Fund’s youth leadership programme.
- Unemployed young people who are matriculants, graduates from tertiary institutions and out of school are some of the youth characteristics under consideration.
YOUTH “THINK TANKS”
The Youth “Think Tanks” is an identity which will prevail across different pillars of the youth programme, being youth leadership, civic participation, human rights and youth entrepreneurship. The “Think Tanks” are virtual structures which generate thinking, debates, discussions, peer learning, advocacy and practical solutions among young people on matters that concern their development. Essentially, the youth programme carries four different pillars where all thinking, collected under the programmatic domains will be subject to “Think Tanks” as progressive stages to target interactions with different statutory and non-statutory structures.
Figure 5.8a: Share of unemployed youth (15–34 years) by
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Figure 5.8b: Share of unemployed youth (15–34 years) by highest level of education, 2014
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*Total includes the category “other”. Source: QLFS 2009–2014
The Fund’s role in sculpting future leaders through strategic partnerships will expose young people to four leadership programme components comprising of ethical leadership, civic participation, human rights and youth entrepreneurship.
The Fund will pilot the youth leadership programme in the Gauteng province (district municipalities) that are seriously affected by youth unemployment.
Target population
The direct and indirect beneficiaries of the youth leadership programme will be:
The youth leadership programme is embedded in Think Tanks that will serve as a platform for youth from all walks of life. The youth will be empowered to lead and become agents of their own change through working together in finding, implementing and executing solutions to issues that directly affect them and their communities, schools and the nation at large. The think tanks are change agents that will propel other programmes like Youth Parliaments and Youth Boards to advance the interests and aspirations of young people at all levels.
The Fund will pilot the youth leadership programme in the Gauteng province (district municipalities) that are seriously affected by youth unemployment.
- City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
- City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
- Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
- Sedibeng District Municipality
Target population
The direct and indirect beneficiaries of the youth leadership programme will be:
- The children and youth between the ages of 12 and 22 as primary targets.
- Youth in schools , universities and colleges
- Youth out of school and those unemployed
- Youth in and out of school with disabilities
- Organisations that represent and or work with in and out of school youth
- Organisations that work with parents and families of the in and out of school youth
- Parents and families of project beneficiaries
- Care-givers and other professional staff that deal with youth in and out of school
The youth leadership programme is embedded in Think Tanks that will serve as a platform for youth from all walks of life. The youth will be empowered to lead and become agents of their own change through working together in finding, implementing and executing solutions to issues that directly affect them and their communities, schools and the nation at large. The think tanks are change agents that will propel other programmes like Youth Parliaments and Youth Boards to advance the interests and aspirations of young people at all levels.