12 May YLED NPO Views on Impact of Youth Development Today

Posted at 10:31h in Article by

Why Youth Development?

Youth development goals are developed to help the youth reach their potential, be it in academia, in the world of work or self-employment journey. And this can only happen when youth development interventions and programmes are prioritised and designed to enable the youth to navigate physical, emotional, cognitive, and social activities that will increase their chances of success. At YLED NPO, we have been doing this for eighteen years. We have seen the value that our youth development programmes and interventions add to increasing the youth’s confidence levels throughout their journey.

“The National Development (NDP) calls on all South Africans from all walks of life to join forces, uniting all energies towards implementing this plan. This is our plan, our future; let’s make it work! We also understand that the NDP has set 5% for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and unemployment reduction to 6% by 2030.

We also understand that the rationale of the NDP is targeting youth-targeted interventions are needed to enable youth South Africans to be active participants and engage in society and the economy.”

Researchers and practitioners emphasise that programs and interventions that recognise youth strengths and promote positive development encourage positive outcomes for Youth. Not only that, South Africa needs an economy that is more inclusive and more dynamic, and the fruits of growth are shared equitably.

In 2030, the economy should be close to full employment, equip people with the skills they need, ensure that ownership of production is more diverse and able to grow rapidly, and provide the resources to pay for investment in human and physical capital.

“We also understand that providing essential services enables people to develop capabilities to take advantage of opportunities around the country, enabling them to contribute to their communities through remittances and skills transfer.”

While the achievement of the objectives of the National Development Plan requires progress on a broad front, three priorities stand out:

  • Raising employment through faster economic growth
  • Improving the quality of education, skills development and innovation
  • Building the capability of the state to play a developmental, transformative role.

How YLED NPO plays a role:

Throughout youth development programmes and interventions, we aim to deliver on the following strategic objectives;

  • Produce and development young people that can think and act entrepreneurially
  • Involve Youth in the decision-making process that will enable them to be community leaders and change agents
  • Establish and maintain sustainable youth development programmes and interventions
  • Empower the Youth to make a difference in their communities
  • Facilitate youth skills development partnerships
  • Driving entrepreneurship skills development amongst the youth

The ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions have created a gap in the education system, which shows the impact of education delivery and its role in the learner’s career path. To keep Youth motivated, basic education training alone is not enough. Our Programmes are designed to provide concepts and opportunities such as leadership skills, entrepreneurship, career development skills and youth-led conversations.

These services and opportunities complement the education system and support learners across South Africa.

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