FUTURE JOB PROSPECTS
Job prospects into the future at 30.1% and 43.2% for those in the 15-34 age group. Instead of looking forward to a world of opportunities, more graduates are staring into a changing future and questioning their job prospects.
by Mihlali Ncukana In a fragile graduate market, graduates need to equip themselves for a changing future. THE START OF 2020 SAW A SURGE IN JOB-SHEDDING across the economy with many organisations calling a halt to hiring new staff. The prospects of graduate recruitment thus look bleak given that the economy was struggling even before the Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2020, our unemployment rate was hovering
A study in March 2020 by Adzuna revealed that the hospitality, food and beverage industries would suffer the most in South Africa, along with travel, tourism and industries requiring people to meet and gather. Justin Hess, a UWC graduate who was interning at a distillery, is one of those who suffered the brunt of retrenchment together with other corporate interns. He reported, “The only interns who remained were those doing their in-service training to complete their degree.” Hundreds of graduates rely on internships to gain a competitive advantage to enter the world of work. This is demonstrated by the 1258 internships advertised in 2019 by the UWC Careers Service. UWC CAREER UPDATE 2020 |
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