Youth Employment Recovery in the Post-Covid-19 Economy: The Potential Role of Education and Training

Abstract

South Africa has one of the highest reported rates of youth unemployment coupled with poverty and inequality in the world. These challenges have recently been worsened by the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the economy. Unemployment rates have remained stubbornly high in the country and have been a consistent concern for government and policymakers. In light of the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, the purpose of this paper is to analyse South African youth employment recovery in the post-Covid-19 economy. In particular, this paper analyses the potential role of education and training in the recovery of youth employment. Document analysis and a critical literature review were conducted to address the objective of this paper. In the research that informed this paper, firstly, a Google search was conducted to obtain relevant documents and publications on the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. Secondly, a comprehensive literature search across 10 scholarly databases was conducted to obtain relevant recently published articles. Documents and scholarly articles were analysed through thematic analysis. The results indicate that Covid-19 has contributed to the overall surge in job losses. However, the impact of the pandemic on youth unemployment itself is minimal, as youth unemployment was already high in the pre-Covid-19 economy. Further results show that addressing youth unemployment largely depends on economic growth. In particular, “appropriate” education and training, as part of the recovery plan, can play a key role in economic growth stimulation and job creation. These results call for collaborative efforts from different stakeholders, not only to implement programmes and policies that contribute to economic growth, but also to develop an education system that addresses the labour market needs.