GEORGE NEWS - The award-winning youth service initiative, YearBeyond, hosted the second Youth Futures CEO Dialogue in George on Wednesday 4 June.

The event brought together leaders from business, government and civil society to explore practical solutions to youth unemployment and skills development in the Western Cape. 

Addressing the gathering, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport’s head, Guy Redman, called for collective action. “Today is about how we can, together, make a difference. It’s about agreeing on a bold plan to reduce young people who are not in employment, education or training [Neet] by 10% - that is the target.”

Now more than a decade strong, YearBeyond (YeBo) has provided more than 15 000 youth aged 18 to 25 with meaningful work experience, personal and professional development, and pathways into education and employment - all while nurturing a culture of service. 

At the heart of the programme is a dual-beneficiary model: building the skills of young people while they deliver services to communities.

Sisipho Sitshaka, a 2024 YeBo Catch-up Programme graduate who now works at Fancourt Hotel, shared her story. “Having a mentor or ‘buddy system’ [at Fancourt], basically a coach, is very important, because you have someone to ask questions to and lean on. It makes the transition from being a YeBoneer to an employee much easier.”

Debbie Bruce, the director of Womb to Tomb, said Sitshaka’s experience - similar to that of so many other Yeboneers - highlights the value of support structures and keeping youth voices at the centre of efforts to boost employment and confidence.

Bruce also emphasised the importance of partnerships with the private sector. 

“While these youth are in the YeBo programme, they are developing key competencies in professionalism, emotional intelligence and agency. YearBeyond is just one of the many bridges they will cross - and when they reach the end of the YeBo bridge, we want them to successfully set into their next, whether it is through studying further, getting a job or starting their own business. These partnerships are critical in supporting that next step.”

The roundtable discussions sparked lively engagement and created opportunities to deepen collaboration. 

Ajay Gosai, human resources business partner at Fancourt, reflected on the shared responsibility to support youth. 

“Just as much as young people need to find their purpose, we, those who are slightly beyond our youth, also need to rediscover ours so we can start giving back. We need to gather as much knowledge as we can and feed it back into the system so that it lasts beyond us. YearBeyond gives them a strong start; we need to help give them a strong finish.”

The annual dialogues with the private sector are essential in enabling cross-sector collaboration, strengthening partnerships and creating pathways into the economy for young people. 

Corporates interested in partnering with YearBeyond can email yearbeyond@westerncape.gov.za and visit www.yearbeyond.org for more information about the programme.

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