15/09/2026
“You need experience to get a job. But you need a job to get experience.”
Where does that leave a young person trying to enter the workplace?
South Africa’s unemployment crisis should make us question how we prepare young people for life after school.
Our education system fails school leavers when passing exams becomes the finish line, without enough preparation for what comes next.
We expect them to write professional emails, navigate interviews, understand workplace relationships and manage responsibilities. But where have they had the opportunity to practise?
**The gap we’re working to close is preparation—not capability.**
A young person’s unfamiliarity with the workplace should never be mistaken for a lack of potential.
At Kefilwe Tsela Academy, our Workplace Essentials programme helps learners build professional communication, teamwork, accountability and an understanding of workplace expectations through practical activities and workplace exposure.
Preparation alone cannot solve unemployment. It must be matched with employers willing to create opportunities and support new entrants.
Your business can help bridge that gap. Contact us to become a workplace host or programme partner.
