Job creation efforts in the country have received a boost with the opening of applications for an incubation programme aimed at young entrepreneurs.
Allan Gray Makers runs a free 8-month long empowerment programme for aspiring artisan entrepreneurs in the plumbing and electrical trades.
The programme is a unique opportunity for individuals to gain the skills and support needed to kickstart their own businesses. Through its life-long support services the programmes also aims to ensure sustainability of the businesses that are created out of the initiative.
“Probably the biggest challenge for technically talented South African youth and young artisans is finding a helping hand on their journey to become successful business owners and entrepreneurs in their own right, especially in critical skills like plumbing and electrical trades. The StartUp Academy is empowering technically talented youth with the skills and exposure needed to embark on their entrepreneurial journey,” says Seth Mulli, Programme Director at Allan Gray Makers.
According to data released last year, in the second quarter of 2023 the unemployment in South Africa reached 28.3 percent among workers aged between 35 and 44 year. Among the youth the unemployment rate was at its highest at 60.7 percent.
Some of the causes of unemployment among young people are skills mismatch, lack of entrepreneurial and skills education, lack of access to capital and the digital divide.
The Allan Gray Makers incubation programmes seeks to address some of these challenges by availing its resources at no cost to the youth who meet the criteria and have demonstrated commitment to succeed in their areas of choice.
