Youth Unemployment
Born Free or Free Fall?
An excerpt from FLUX TREND’s 2030 YOUTH REPORT
In response to a growing social crisis in South Africa revolving around the challenges facing the youth generation, Flux Trends has compiled a ground-breaking report into the cause and effect of the forgotten “born-frees”, and the repercussions that this neglected generation will have on South African society over the next two decades, as they grow up and enter society, and (against all odds) our workforce. In the report, Flux Trends unpacks the root causes of our social problems, what we can expect as these traumatised children come of age, but more importantly, what they propose that we can do now to break the vicious cycle.
The full report is available from here: Born free or free fall? South Africa 2030: Now’s the time to intervene - A Flux Trend Report.
“They appear to be rebels without a cause, apathetic towards voting and politics, despite their parent’s sacrifice”
Figure 1
As summarised in the Figure 1 infographic, the report begins by frames a stark picture of the “lost youth”, presenting some startling statistics and disturbing trends. Illiteracy, poverty, and various modes of trauma are discussed seen in relation to South Africa’s abnormally high unemployment, violence and crime rates.
“Three out of four white children finish school, compared to only one in three black learners.”
The report also tries to get into the “heart of the problem”, which it associates with the breakdown of the family structure, loss of children’s role models, and abusive households.
“…at least one in five of teens think of harming themselves.”
“Handouts”, the report argues, don’t work, but argues instead for “help from within”. Mothers, Teachers, Communities.
“Behind all the despair and negativity, there are many inspirational individuals facilitating positive, lasting change by going to the root cause of our society’s dysfunction and building up community leaders from within the heart of our most damaged communities.”
Our “lost youth” generation will ultimately affect everyone – you and your business – the report warns, and a call is made for all of society to look into doing something to make a meaningful difference today - as an individual and as an organisation. Some ideas are presented in Figure 2.
Figure 2
This excerpt is shared courtesy of Dion Chang, Founder and CEO of Flux Trends.
Follow Dion on Twitter & Instagram @dionchang
Dion Chang
Trend analyst
Owner/Founder: Flux Trends
Read more about the author and his view on being a futurist.
The new Flux Trends report, Born free or Free fall? South Africa 2030, explores the reality behind the rainbow nation – a forgotten generation of children about to enter society as active citizens, trying desperately to enter the workplace. Orphaned by AIDS and violence and failed by the system, this vast generation has grown up without proper education, without a moral compass and with little hope for the future.
In a country with a youth bulge as large as South Africa’s, our disenfranchised, unemployed and angry “lost generation” is a powder keg waiting to be lit. As individuals, business and as society at large, we can’t afford to sit by and do nothing. It is no longer “someone else’s problem”.
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