Sayed calls for urgent youth employment pathway as Western Cape marks 50 years since June 16

Western Cape Leader of the Opposition Khalid Sayed used the Provincial Legislature's Youth Day Debate on Thursday to deliver a sharp critique of the provincial government's handling of youth development, education and employment, while calling for a comprehensive plan to guide young people from the classroom into meaningful careers.

Addressing the Legislature during Youth Month commemorations marking the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, Sayed said the province's young people continue to face significant barriers despite repeated government promises and programmes.

"The real audience today is the young person asking one painful question: after school, what comes next?" Sayed told the House.

According to Sayed, the transition from education to employment remains one of the greatest challenges facing young people in the Western Cape. He argued that while various programmes exist, government has failed to create a measurable and integrated pathway that takes learners from school into skills development, workplace experience and ultimately employment.

"A classroom must never become a waiting room for unemployment. Education must lead somewhere. It must lead to skills, work experience, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, employment, dignity and hope," he said.

Drawing parallels between the struggles of young people today and the sacrifices of the 1976 generation, Sayed said the youth who rose against apartheid-era education policies fought not only against Afrikaans as a medium of instruction but against a system that sought to limit the futures of Black South Africans.

He also paid tribute to anti-apartheid youth activists associated with the Young Lions movement, including Ashley Kriel, Anton Fransch, Robbie Waterwitch and Coline Williams, describing them as examples of how young people have historically shaped the course of South African history.

Sayed argued that the province requires more than a collection of disconnected programmes and initiatives. Instead, he called for the development of an integrated provincial youth pathway plan involving schools, TVET colleges, SETAs, municipalities, provincial departments, businesses and community organisations.

Among the proposals advanced by the ANC are guaranteed workplace placements for TVET students, expanded apprenticeship opportunities, increased internships, improved career guidance programmes and stronger support for youth entrepreneurship.

He further called for a review of the school quintile funding model, arguing that funding should be based on the socioeconomic realities faced by learners rather than the geographic location of schools.

The Opposition Leader pointed to alarming unemployment trends among young graduates and skilled workers. Referring to a recent employment opportunity in Hout Bay that reportedly attracted 493 applicants, including more than 80 university graduates, Sayed said the figures reflected a broader economic failure rather than individual shortcomings.

"We are producing qualified young people, but the economy is not absorbing them. That is not a personal failure by young people. It is a systems failure," he said.

Sayed also highlighted the issue of unplaced learners, criticising the Western Cape Education Department and the provincial government for failing to resolve cases with sufficient urgency.

He revealed that two learners from Macassar remained without school placement months after the start of the academic year and noted that education advocacy groups had repeatedly raised concerns regarding similar cases.

"How can we speak about careers when children are still being denied access to classrooms?" he asked.

The ANC leader further drew attention to challenges facing rural communities, arguing that educational inequality begins when learners are forced to travel long distances, attend under-resourced schools and have limited access to career opportunities and infrastructure.

He criticised what he described as a lack of accountability within the provincial administration, accusing the Democratic Alliance of rewarding underperformance rather than addressing ongoing challenges within the education sector.

Beyond formal education, Sayed stressed the importance of investing in sports facilities, libraries, community halls and youth centres as part of a broader development ecosystem capable of supporting young people and expanding opportunities.

In concluding his address, Sayed urged young people to become actively involved in shaping the country's future through civic participation and democratic engagement.

"The youth of 1976 taught us that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow. They are the makers of history today," he said.

The debate formed part of Youth Month commemorations across South Africa and reflected ongoing concerns regarding youth unemployment, access to education and the role of government in creating opportunities for the next generation.