Business needs to give youth first-hand experience of work to obtain skills for the workforce of the future

Dion Shango, CEO of PwC Southern Africa.

Early exposure to the corporate world can boost the education and employment of young South Africans. It will help them obtain the work skills they need to fulfill their potential and whatever career path in the future they may choose,” says Dion Shango, CEO of PwC Southern Africa. Shango was speaking on the eve of Youth Month. Education and a lack of skills are among some of the most pressing issues facing our country today.

June is celebrated as Youth Month in South Africa and focuses in particular on 16 June - Youth Day. While the youth of 1976 fought against the system of the apartheid government, our youth of today have the same passion, but face new challenges. High levels of unemployment and poverty are but some of these challenges. On 30 January 2018, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on South Africa to do more to redress these issues.

To commemorate and honour all those who fought in the struggle for change, PwC has launched an initiative - #MyPledge - calling on all South Africans to pledge their intentions to help improve the lives of young people in our country. “We therefore call on everyone to make a pledge to make a difference - a pledge to play your part in unlocking the potential of young people in SA.”

Shango says although the business landscape is very different from when he started his career as a Chartered Accountant 19 years ago, it is one that is still taking shape. Digital technology and innovation is affecting every aspect of our working lives. Never before have there been so many challenges in the workplace but also one, which holds much promise for the future.

Shango adds: “PwC pledges to play a part in building and developing the skills and employment of our youth, particularly in the workforce of the future.”

Young people ought to be given insight into different industries, as well as jobs, to develop the skills they will need for the future. This must be started while they are still at school.

“We pride ourselves on knowing that we add value to SA’s economy by developing young Chartered Accountants (CAs) that grow into the leaders of tomorrow, whether they remain in the profession or not,” Shango comments.

One of the biggest challenges for CEOs is finding and retaining young talent according to recent PwC research. The research revealed that millennials have a number of expectations. The biggest attraction for millennials to an employer is the opportunity for career progression. Millennials dislike outdated working practices, rigid hierarchies, fixed hours and the same uninspiring place of work.

“At PwC we believe it is important to hear young people and to support them in developing a comprehensive understanding of the workplace to give them an advantage in the job market,” Shirley Machaba, Chairperson for PwC Southern Africa’s governing board says. It is critical that we not only engage with our young employees but that we listen to what they are saying. PwC has established various employee networks to ensure employees’ voices are heard and that they feel part of the firm’s diverse culture. We recently introduced a flexibility plan, which allows our employees flexibility in how, where and when they work on a day-to-day basis.

Furthermore, we are taking an active role in providing a number of initiatives for young people to enter into our organisation. These include internships, mentorships, coaching, and bursaries.

In line with our purpose, we have invested in several initiatives to nurture future business leaders. Our ‘Foundation for the Future’ programme exposes young graduates to various operational disciplines within the advisory line of service and provides them with opportunities to be mentored by directors and senior managers. PwC has also launched its ‘Skilled for the future’ programme, which aims to prepare high school leaners for success in the working world.

“The frustration felt by youth was reflected in many of the dialogues and interactions we had with them. Many young people identified problems within their own communities – some of these problems affect their education and future outlook. But they have also come up with solutions to some of these problems,” Machaba adds.

“Only through large-scale interactive participation with business, educators, government and other stakeholders, can the voice of SA’s young people become truly representative in civil society.

“We call upon business and all other stakeholders to make their pledge - #MyPledge - to support our young people and uplift their development and lives,”Machaba concludes.