Few experiences match the joy of seeing families fill a graduation hall, celebrating their children’s achievements. Yet, as we conferred over 900 diplomas and degrees last week at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), we had to face an unsettling truth: in South Africa, a qualification alone is no longer enough to guarantee employment.
With youth unemployment at 62.4% for those aged 15-24, as reported by Statistics South Africa, we face a profound failure unless we fundamentally rethink how universities prepare graduates for meaningful economic participation.
South Africa’s unemployment rate of 32.9% is more than just an economic number; it signals a breakdown between education, opportunity and employment. Most worrying is that 58.7% of unemployed young people have no prior work experience, trapping them in a cycle where they lack the record needed to secure jobs and cannot gain experience without those jobs.
Much has been said about producing “work-ready” graduates. However, in a context of persistent structural unemployment, readiness must mean more than academic achievement; it requires entrepreneurial mindsets and practical skills that enable graduates to navigate and reshape a turbulent economic landscape.
South Africa presents itself as a developmental state. This entails specific responsibilities: pursuing economic growth and social inclusion through intentional partnerships among government, universities, industry and civil society. In such a state, employers are not mere passive receivers of “work-ready” graduates; they are active partners in nation building, responsible for creating pathways for young people to enter the workforce.
The National Skills Accord embodies this spirit by urging business, government and labour to broaden access to training opportunities and workplace learning. The Skills Development Act also mandates that employers address the gap between academic preparation and practical skills.
Higher education’s role goes beyond curriculum reform. Student success depends on systems that consider socio-economic barriers
Yet in reality, many companies still insist on graduates arriving fully equipped with job-ready skills. This expectation is unrealistic and short-sighted in a developmental context. Employers must recognise their responsibility goes beyond recruitment: they need to accept, nurture and mentor graduates, viewing them as investments rather than finished products. Structured internships, graduate programmes and deliberate mentorship pipelines are vital to breaking the experience–employment trap.
Universities alone cannot solve youth unemployment. Likewise, employers cannot escape their responsibility. In a developmental state, both must work together: higher education should produce adaptable, enterprising graduates, and industry must support their development through practical experience and developmental assistance.
At VUT, our Strategy 2033+ reflects this rethinking. We aim to produce graduates who “understand the assignment” – those who recognise South Africa’s challenges and have the skills to tackle them. This involves curricula that balance theory with practice, moving away from purely academic concepts towards employability and practical innovation.
Our classrooms now emphasise adaptability, problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking alongside disciplinary knowledge. Practical exposure is reinforced through partnerships with industry, ensuring the curriculum aligns with market demands. In a developmental state, education is not just a private good for individual advancement but a public good tied to national progress.
VUT’s Technology Transfer and Innovation hub exemplifies this philosophy in practice. Spanning 172 hectares and featuring advanced manufacturing technologies, it acts as a platform where students work alongside industry to solve real-world problems. This dual-purpose environment encourages both research and entrepreneurship, showing students that business success depends on technical skills and creative application.
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this shift. As formal employment declined, many young people turned to necessity-driven entrepreneurship. These ventures, often digital-first, continue to flourish today. VUT builds on this momentum by supporting similar entrepreneurial journeys, providing mentorship and incubation spaces where students learn to innovate, fail safely and try again. This fosters the resilience essential for success in uncertain labour markets.
A rise in microcredential offerings indicates employers’ preference for specific skills. VUT has responded with modular and flexible programmes that enable students to build expertise gradually.
This model is especially helpful for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Many need to balance earning and learning, and flexible credentials allow them to develop skills gradually while staying financially active. This approach broadens access and creates more pathways to economic participation, which is vital in a developmental state where inclusive growth is a constitutional requirement.
South Africa’s developmental state vision calls for a partnership between universities and employers. Universities need to graduate students who can think critically, adapt swiftly and innovate.
Employers, too, benefit from this evolution. By engaging with universities to shape microcredential offerings and by recognising them in recruitment and promotion, industry can ensure that skills development aligns with national economic needs.
Higher education’s role goes beyond curriculum reform. Student success depends on systems that consider socio-economic barriers. VUT’s involvement in the Siyaphumelela Network shows our commitment to data-driven support. Predictive analytics help us identify students at risk before failure happens, allowing interventions that tackle both academic and social issues.
Equally, we emphasise digital literacy as an essential skill. Today’s graduates need not only to employ technology but also to harness it for market access, innovation and efficiency. We also emphasise the importance of resilience, teaching students that setbacks are a natural part of learning and that perseverance is crucial for achieving long-term success. Employers hosting graduates should adopt this mindset, recognising that mentorship, guidance and patience are key to nurturing the next generation of leaders.
South Africa’s developmental state vision calls for a partnership between universities and employers. Universities need to graduate students who can think critically, adapt swiftly and innovate. Employers must, in turn, support these graduates by providing opportunities where their skills can be refined and their potential fulfilled. Viewing graduates merely as “work-ready or not” is insufficient. They are not finished products but emerging professionals who need guidance, investment and trust.
Last week’s cohort of graduates represents hope, not only for themselves, but for our nation as well. They are equipped to be innovators and leaders capable of transforming the economy and advancing the public good. However, universities alone cannot reshape outcomes; South Africa’s developmental ambitions depend on employers who accept new graduates and intentionally invest in their development.
The future of work demands graduates to be innovative, adaptable and entrepreneurial. The moment for incremental change has passed; now is the time for bold, collective action from universities and employers. Only a coordinated, developmental approach can break the cycle of unemployment and build pathways to prosperity.
Our young people are at the heart of this mission. By committing to their development – in universities, workplaces and beyond – we can uplift not only individual graduates but also the entire nation.
Prof Khehla Ndlovu is the principal and vice-chancellor of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT)
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