The Big Read: Degrees of ineptitude

Tens of thousands of young people are about to lose lots of money. It is a scary no-man's land between the announcement of the matric results and entrance to university.

Stranded in this zone of hopelessness, you will find young people who either failed the National Senior Certificate examinations (Grade 12) or passed so poorly that they did not gain access to higher education.

Enter the business vultures, those low-life enterprises that cater to such desperation with all kinds of short courses and promising diplomas, at a price of course. With few exceptions, these are scams run by shysters who prey on the most vulnerable in pursuit of easy profit.

They offer anything from hairdressing certificates to engineering qualifications (believe it or not), regardless of school results. They do not care about academic preconditions because that would hurt their margins - too few qualifying students mean too little money to sustain even these skeletal operations.

Such bogus colleges are often small, freshly painted "offices" in shabby downtown buildings with large-print, hand-painted names for the so-called education and training site. The "lecturers" are not people with advanced qualifications and hard experience in advanced business organisations. Nor is there any modesty among these crooks, for the word "international" might even precede the name of this flighty college.

But the student is desperate and hands over cash for a low-level computer course or secretarial diploma - anything to get a piece of paper that would hopefully buy some skills or, better still, a job.

To the young people tempted by these scam operations, here is my advice. First of all, there are no short cuts to success. While I understand the urgency and desperation of your situation, you will be flushing your money down the drain. You are still young, so rather repeat your Grade 12 courses through an accredited provider and take the time to improve your academic standing in the relevant subjects.

Second, in a modern economy powered by new technologies, no company takes a serious look at short courses completed at dodgy colleges, even for entry-level jobs.

Employers want to know that you have completed a solid academic degree or an accredited technical diploma - that already says something about you - which would tell them that you have the basic competence and disposition that would benefit from on-the-job training.

Third, if you really must take this route of registering at an independent college, demand that it gives you evidence that the organisation is registered and that its programmes are accredited by the appropriate education authorities in South Africa. And do not only take the college's word for it - call the Department of Higher Education and Training to confirm its status.

Your biggest challenge right now is your self-image. Given your poor results, you might even believe that you deserve these lesser colleges and qualifications for not doing as well as your peers. That is not true. You deserve a high-quality education and training like everybody else; in fact, it is your right to demand access to the best education available, whether or not you pay for it.

Then there is the pressure from your family. You do not want to spend this year doing nothing. So you reason that taking some short courses will keep you busy. Your whole life lies ahead of you. No need to rush. Rather plan carefully the next steps in your training and career. Sit down with a career counsellor and chart the next few years of your life in short, simple, deliberate steps.

Here is an example: you want to become a teacher but your results were weak. The only subjects that sank you are English and mathematics, and not by much. Take those courses again at an accredited college. Rather use the money you would have spent on a short course to pay for quality tutors in each of these subjects.

This time, put in several hours a day of learning to ensure you get good marks in these subjects at the end of 2017. Then volunteer as a teacher's assistant for half-days at a school or preschool.

Even if the school does not pay you, the experience will be invaluable - and since this work will appear on your curriculum vitae, it will make an impression on university officials, but especially on employers.

Then apply in good time for a Bachelor of Education degree in 2018.