SOUTH Africa is facing a high unemployment rate among youth of about 62%, according to Stats SA, which is one of the biggest economic challenges.
Because of this, young people are unable to contribute to South Africa’s future economic growth. Many of them can relate to the struggles of finding a job, which is compounded by factors such as the high cost of data to search for jobs online and transportation to interviews.
Young people are frequently compelled to use social media to solicit financial assistance to overcome such hurdles.
Through Metropolitan’s We’re Here for You(th) campaign, the company is collaborating with Uber during Youth Month to help transport young job seekers to job interviews free.
The youth frequently miss out on opportunities of employment simply because they are unable to get there. Through this partnership, 1 300 young candidates will be able to use Uber vouchers to go to and from job interviews.
Tlalane Ntuli, chief marketing officer at Metropolitan, said a strong community could be built if the youth was invested in by providing the resources and tools that allow them to unlock their potential.
“Through initiatives such as this, we are playing our part to bring young job seekers and prospective employers together,” said Ntuli.
Metropolitan has also partnered up with life coach, Yvette Ratshikhopha to host a series of masterclasses on Twitter Spaces to assist young people navigate the mental and emotional aspects of job searching. The goal of these classes is to give job seekers advice on how to do well in interviews.
Ratshikhopha said that job seeking could be a challenging journey and not many young people have access to the resources that they need.
“This is why I have partnered with Metropolitan to offer a series of masterclasses on Twitter Spaces, focusing on building mental resilience and providing jobseekers with tips and advice,” Ratshikhopha said.
“It will take a massive collective effort from various stakeholders to uplift the youth of our country. As one of the stakeholders in South Africa, Metropolitan is passionate about providing young people with platforms that allow them to use their creative and cognitive skills to earn an income and contribute towards the country’s economy,” she said.
Ntuli said that through their campaign, Metropolitan aimed to emphasize the crucial role that youth play in the future of the country.
“With the inclusion of Udemy and Value-Ed scholarships, this activation is another step in the right direction to help combat youth unemployment and create opportunities for young people to excel,” Ntuli said.