Strategies to mitigate the high rate of unemployed youth in South Africa

Abstract

The advent of Department of Small Business Enterprise to give financial support to start-ups business has not yield the positive results. The study adopted mixed research method. A semi- structured   questionnaire was distributed to 216 public school principals; to ascertain the opportunities associated with the adoption of entrepreneurship education in public schools. In addition, interviews were conducted to find the effective strategies to reduce youth unemployment through entrepreneurship education. A purposive sampling method was used to select the schools for the case study. Both quantifying and non-quantifying data analysis methods were used to interpret the data. Descriptive analysis techniques were also used to analyse the survey data. The results of this study indicated: firstly, results indicating the inhibitors with regard to entrepreneurship education in public schools, Secondly, results from literature revealed that entrepreneurship education can play important part in mitigating the young unemployment in South Africa. Thirdly, results show that educator’s lack relevant knowledge about entrepreneurship education and business studies do not cover entrepreneurship. The study recommended the need for a proper framework on entrepreneurship education in public schools.  The public-private partnership with universities to bridge the skills gap and improve the gross domestic product in South Africa if implemented this could bring a resolution to the problems and challenges posed.  Moreover, the study intends to recommend mechanism that could inform policy makers, DBE and NYDA to develop effective entrepreneurship education in public schools.