South Africa extends its skills development programme for young people

The Western Cape Department of Culture and Sport, through the Directorate of Youth and Out-of-School Programmes, has encouraged unemployed youth aged 18-25 to apply for the YearBeyond programme in 2024.

Young people who live in the region and fulfil the necessary criteria can take part in it. All education programmes require a high school diploma, others require minimum grades in thr language or maths.

The YearBeyond programme offers young South Africans a year-long opportunity to gain practical work experience and develop their skills. Successful candidates are placed in a school or community centre where they will assist students and parents.

The success of the programme is clear, as evidenced by the feedback received in previous years. 96 per cent of participants said that the experience helped them to know themselves better and to prepare for school and work. Encouragingly, 75-78 per cent of participants have moved on to economic activity at the end of the programme. This is reported by the official website of the South African government.

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