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Enhancing youth access to learning and earning opportunities
Enhancing youth access
to learning and earning opportunities
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is a South Africanbased agency established primarily to address challenges faced by the nation’s youth. The function of the NYDA is to mainstream youth development programmes aimed at improving the livelihoods of the youth of South Africa. Asanda Luwaca, NYDA Executive Chairperson explains more...
What programmes does NYDA offer to unlock job creation and enable opportunities for the youth?
The programmes are aimed to enhancing youth access to learning and earning opportunities. Young people may find employment, on-the-job learning, improved skills, earn stipends, find opportunities that match what they studied for. • The Grant Programme provides young entrepreneurs with an opportunity to access both financial and non-financial business development services to equip youth-owned enterprises in driving youth employment. • The NYDA Jobs Programme is designed to assist in alleviating the scourge of youth unemployment through a database in which young people can register their CVs and supporting documentation. This is then made available to stakeholders including private companies who may have opportunities in varying fields. These may include full-time employment opportunities, learnerships, internships and training. • National Youth Service Programme empowers young people with technical skills to start their own businesses or
look for employment opportunities. • The NYDA Technical Skills Programme assists young people to become qualified artisans and certified electricians.
What are the criteria to access assistance from NYDA?
The young person needs to be a South African citizen between the ages of 14 and 35. The NYDA assists young people of all races provided they qualify to enrol for a specific programme/ project/opportunity as per requirements.
How sustainable are the programmes run by NYDA and what mechanisms are in place to provide support?
The NYDA provides after-care support. Moreover, the Grant and Voucher Programmes require a young person to participate in Business Management Training, which is made compulsory in an effort to ensure sustainability.
The courses are offered at no cost to young people. All other NYDA products and services are also free. Young people are
encouraged to register for the Mentorship Programme as well. There are NYDA mentors who have previously walked the journey that a young person intends to embark on.
What is the NYDA’s function for economic development through youth entrepreneurship?
The NYDA encourages young people to participate in the economy through starting their own businesses, which will in turn create work opportunities for other youth. The grant funding provides financial assistance to young entrepreneurs in a form of stock, materials and/or equipment for their businesses.
The programme focuses on youth entrepreneurs who are at intentional, promising, and new stages of enterprise development. Young people whose business ideas qualify for the Grant Programme, depending on their individual needs, will also undergo some of the NYDA’s nonfinancial support services, including: • mentorship • business consultancy services • market linkages • business management training programme • youth co-operative development programme
How can South African youth tap into this?
Young entrepreneurs can apply for funding or any other programme of the NYDA online by first creating their profile on the NYDA ERP system at www.erp.nyda.gov.za, or visit their closest NYDA branch.
What are some of the misconceptions about the NYDA?
That the NYDA only assists a few young individuals who have internal connections or are politically connected.
What are the biggest challenges facing youth?
Unemployment remains the biggest challenge faced by the youth of South Africa. Therefore, providing an enabling environment in which businesses by young entrepreneurs can grow and flourish is one of the NYDA’s main objectives.
Arts and heritage is one opportunity, while technology has also proved to be an enterprising avenue that young people are exploring. Social entrepreneurship is also popular among young people in South Africa, and more young people are entering farming and dispelling the myth
that this sector is only meant for the older generation. There are many success stories coming out in this field.
Looking at the high unemployment rate in SA, particularly amongst the youth, what are NYDA’s plans to address this?
The NYDA Jobs Programme is designed with this in mind, assisting with providing employment opportunities for young people, including forming partnerships with other organisations and stakeholders, such as sayouth.mobi which is a zero-rated platform for young people to access various learning and earing opportunities.
• The NYDA Grant Programme also provide young entrepreneurs with an opportunity to access both financial and non-financial business development services to equip youth-owned enterprises in driving youth employment. • National Youth Service Programme empowers young people
with technical skills to start their own businesses or look for employment opportunities. • The NYDA Technical Skills Programme in partnership with the Services SETA assists young people to become qualified artisans and certified electricians. The skills can either be used by the youth in starting their own commercial establishments or look for work opportunities.
Does NYDA partner with business?
Yes, the NYDA is always open to partner with private, public, and civil society institutions that aim to alleviate the plight faced by the youth of South Africa, through providing employment or funding opportunities.
There are many graduates who remain unemployed. What is the relationship with NYDA and the education sector, and what can be done to bridge the divide between education and employability?
The NYDA continues to partner with various institutions to grant young people access to the job market and improve employability. For example, young graduates from the various fields of study are currently enrolled in an internship programme to gain work experience. This programme was forged as a result of a partnership between the NYDA and P-SETA.
If youth want to learn more about opportunities provided by NYDA, what resources are available?
To access NYDA products and services information, young people are encouraged to register on the NYDA ERP
System: at www.erp.nyda.gov.za, visit the website at www. nyda.gov.za or contact the NYDA customer service team on +27 (0)87 158 4742, or email info@nyda.gov.za
The youth may also visit the NYDA nationwide branches for further assistance. Branch information can be accessed at www.nyda.gov.za/Contact-Us.html. In addition, the agency is also available on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, for daily updates.
Asanda Luwaca, NYDA Executive Chairperson
