We need ideas that can work right now to create jobs‚ says Maimane

While attracting more investment and growing the economy is ultimately how jobs will be created‚ immediate solutions are also needed‚ Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane says.

Speaking in Emfuleni‚ Gauteng‚ at the launch of the party’s ‘Total Change for Jobs’ campaign‚ Maimane said every young person had a place in society‚ and that an environment must be created where this could happen.

He added that everywhere he went‚ he heard the same story.

“It is just told in different ways. A story of despair‚ frustration‚ hopelessness‚ and a sense of ‘why keep trying?’ and 'when will it ever change?’‚” Maimane said.

“We often talk about big plans and big policies to beat unemployment‚ and this is good. We must have this vision. Attracting more investment and growing the economy is ultimately how we will create the jobs we need.

“But that’s a long-term solution that will take years to bear fruit. The five million unemployed young South Africans can’t wait that long. We also need immediate solutions‚” the DA leader said.

Similarly‚ looking at ways to fund higher education for poor students was an important part in beating youth unemployment. But this would only ever address a small part of the problem‚ Maimane added.

“Even if we found the money to cover fees‚ there’s only space for a few hundred thousand students at all our universities and colleges combined. That leaves another two million young people out in the cold.

“So yes‚ we need these big plans. But we also need ideas that can work right now. We need to understand what it is that young people need to get a foot in the door‚ and then we have to get creative in making this happen.”

One of these ideas‚ Maimane said‚ was the DA’s new Vukuzakhe initiative – a programme that would connect young job seekers with opportunities‚ and particularly internship opportunities.

“The aim of Vukuzakhe is to link job seekers with opportunities – a single portal where people can access all the internships on offer. But I’m not just talking about government internships here. We will challenge the private sector to come to the party too so that we can link young people up with internship opportunities in big and small businesses.

“I have already reached out to dozens of CEOs of companies across the country‚ asking them to come on board the Vukuzakhe project. And this is just the beginning‚” Maimane said.