The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro has embarked on a jobs drive to assist unemployed graduates. The metro is holding a series of meetings with graduates to see how best it can provide them with internship and training opportunities.
The municipality is working round the clock to match potential employers with graduates on their database. This comes as scores of graduates flock to various halls across the metro to meet the mayor, hoping to find a job.
Executive Mayor Athol Trollip is urging businesses to utilise skills within the metro. He says he is meeting with businesses to encourage them to provide training opportunities to students.
“We embarked on this process to try with the Department of Labour to identify all unemployed graduates that come into this event, get a database that can streamline their qualifications. And then once we finish, I’m going to meet with businesses and the business chamber; and I’m going to challenge every business in the city to open up opportunities for apprenticeships and internships in their company.”
The municipality is also leading by example. The office of the mayor has already employed a few graduates, and they say it has been a life changing experience.
“Eventually, when I got that call that I got a job, I was like, finally! Because you’re going these interviews and you think nothing will come out of this then eventually you get that. It’s been a hard journey, I won’t lie, because there is still a number of graduates still unemployed that I went to school with, “said one beneficiary of the project.
Optimistic students are eager to finish school so they can kick start a brighter future.
Students across the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro are hoping for the best.
“I would like to get a job, hopefully tour agent or something. Anything that I can get,” said one hopeful student.
“If I don’t get a job, I would like to start something for teenagers so that I can reduce crime,” added another one.
However, scores of graduates remain unemployed and are losing hope. Nontlantla Hlatshwayo-Thomas is a Rhodes University unemployed alumni. She says having been unemployed for over a year now. She is beginning to lose hope. Hlatshwayo-Thomas is a new mother and says at times she questions the value of education.
“I kept on holding on to the hope that something will come up until the year ended and nothing came up. The worst part is that you apply and when you do you don’t get any response. They don’t tell you what you did wrong; what happened; but because you know already that you don’t have experience, you wonder why did you go to school. Might as well have stayed here at home.”
The national unemployment rate sits at 26.7%.
The Eastern Cape has the highest unemployment rate at more than 34% of which nearly 39% are classified as youth jobseekers up to the age of 34.
