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The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] is deeply shocked by the figures released by the Labour Market Dynamics Report of 395 000 jobs lost in the year 2010. To us this clearly signals that South Africa has not fully recovered from the global economic crisis in 2009 and that if not much is done to create and save jobs we face a bleak future.

These figures released by Statistics SA paint a grim future for our country and the youth in particular. The failure by the labour market to absorb the youth is of great concern as one in four working people is between the age of 25 and 34 according to the report. The report further states that people of this age group makes up 41% of the unemployedpopulation. While more than half in the not economically effective category are aged between 15 and 24.

In our 1st annual jobs for youth summit held May 20th to 21st wenoted the following:
The Summit agreed that in order to create a platform for youth to be absorbed into the labour market, government has to drastically change the structure of our economy to focus more on economic growth that is geared towards supporting initiatives aimed at manufacturing goods locally and value-adding.
We noted that high unemployment rates amongst young people is not a new trend, and that even when South Africa recorded high growth rates, unemployment was still at the same level. We have to change the economy from being service and consumption oriented into a highly productive economy.
We also noted that most of the green jobs products are not manufactured in South Africa but are instead largely imported. Were these products to be manufactured locally, for instance, in the production of solar geysers, more than 200 000 jobs and hundreds of co-operatives and SMME’s would be created. The green jobs area is thus an important area for South Africa to develop productive capacity and forces in, but not only as part of youth employment creation strategy but also as part of sustainable development strategy and the avoidance of an ecological dead-end.
The Summit endorsed the call by the Minister of Higher Education on the reconfiguration of the SETA’s, the need for their partnership with public FET and Higher Education institutions and their concentration on apprenticeships and artisan training
We are of the view that not much is done to bring betterment on this situation. The YCL will from the 26th until the 28th October hold its 2nd annual Jobs for Youth Summit. The summit will revisit the resolutions of lasts year’s meeting and engage in issues that will be central in addressing youth employment. We will forever remain unshaken in our struggle for quality andsustainable jobs for the youth.