Preparing our youth for success in a changing world of work
By Prof. Lomé Koekemoer, Associate Professor of Practice, WorkWell Research Unit, North-West University and Managing Director, Yellow Seed Consulting
South Africa faces a difficult dilemma. While unemployment remains alarmingly high – at around 60% among 15–24-year-olds – organisations simultaneously report growing skills shortages.
We have young people looking for opportunities and employers looking for people, but too often what organisations need and what young people bring to the workplace do not match.
For Grade 11 learners, this makes the decisions you make over the next year especially important.
But preparing our youth for success requires an entire ecosystem – schools, universities, parents, employers and young people themselves.
Know yourself – but understand the market too
Your interests, talents and values matter enormously. But “What do I enjoy?” cannot be the only question informing a career decision.
Ask:
- What am I good at?
- What could I become good at?
- What kind of work interests me?
- And where will opportunities exist?
Research careers where demand is growing. Speak to people already doing the work and job-shadow where possible. Explore careers you may never have encountered before.
A good career choice sits at the intersection of who you are, what you have the potential to become good at, and what the world needs.
Start researching now – Grade 11 matters
Many applications close early, and your Grade 11 results are often used for provisional selection. So, identify several qualification options, including a Plan B.
Understand subject and APS requirements, selection criteria, application deadlines and funding options.
Compare universities based on the quality and industry reputation of the specific programme, graduate outcomes, practical exposure, costs, location and the support available to you.
Attend open days and ask questions:
- What distinguishes your programme?
- Where do your graduates find employment?
- What workplace exposure will I receive?
- What bursaries are available?
Start investigating funding early too. Universities, government and many organisations offer bursaries and other funding opportunities, particularly in fields where skills are scarce.
Understand the criteria and conditions early enough to position yourself for these opportunities.
Not ready? Don’t rush the decision
Young people are often pressured to decide what they want to “be” while they are still developing their identity and self-insight.
Parents, don’t push a young person into a degree simply because everyone else is going to university.
I am a strong believer in the value of a structured gap year for the right young person – not a year on the couch, but a purposeful 3 to12-month programme that builds self-awareness, maturity, skills and exposure.
Spending four years completing a qualification you ultimately don’t want to use can cost far more in time, money and delayed career progress than taking a purposeful period to make a better-informed decision.
Getting the qualification is only part of being future-ready
Even when young people make appropriate study choices and successfully obtain a qualification, many still struggle to transition into and succeed in the workplace.
I led a research study(North-West University, in collaboration with YellowSeed Consulting) to identify the capabilities most critical for success in the South African workplace.
We engaged more than 350 business leaders, HR professionals and industry stakeholders across six industries. Our research identified 35 Future Capabilities.
A clear concern emerged: many of the capabilities leaders regard as critical for success are also significantly underdeveloped, especially among youth.
We therefore need to start building these capabilities long before university or the first job.
Source: Yellow Seed Consulting and NWU Work-Well Unit
Source: Yellow Seed Consulting and NWU Work-Well Unit
Teach young people how to learn – and unlearn
One capability stood out repeatedly in our research: learning agility. We define Learning Agility as the willingness and ability to rapidly learn, unlearn and relearn from experiences, feedback and new information.
It starts with willingness – a learning-oriented mindset.
- Am I curious?
- Am I open to feedback?
- Am I willing to be wrong, try something unfamiliar and persevere when learning becomes uncomfortable?
Furthermore, young people will increasingly need to unlearn too. As technology, knowledge and careers evolve, some of what worked yesterday may no longer work tomorrow.
Being able to let go of an outdated way of thinking and relearn a better approach will become increasingly valuable.
This is where metacognition – thinking about our own thinking – becomes a powerful skill.
Instead of simply reacting or following an impulse, we can learn to pause and ask:
- What am I thinking?
- Is this thinking helpful?
- What assumption am I making?
- What did I learn from this experience?
- How could I think or respond differently to get a better result?
In a world where young people are surrounded by instant answers, rapid feedback and immediate gratification, developing this capacity to pause, reflect and intentionally adjust will become even more important.
Preparing a Grade 11 learner for the future is therefore about more than choosing a degree or getting into university.
It is about helping them know themselves, understand where opportunities lie, make informed choices and develop the ability to keep learning and adapting.
South Africa’s future will be shaped by how well we prepare its next generation – and that responsibility belongs to all of us.
It all starts here!
For more information, visit: https://studies.nwu.ac.za/studies/grade-11-information
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