Addressing Unemployment among Young Graduates in South Africa: The Role of Entreprenurship Education

Abstract:     
The problem of poverty alleviation and unemployment remain the primary concerns of the government of the African National Congress (ANC) since 1994. This article aims to profile some official government initiatives to tackling unemployment among young black graduates. It also highlights the role of higher learning institutions in the process. The article also discusses the fact that universities have not done enough towards the implementation of government policies on job creation. The article posits a strategic framework for effective and efficient programmes on job creation among young graduates especially those from the previously disadvantaged black communities. The article explains the concept of entrepreneurship, characteristics of entrepreneurs, and the development of the discipline during the last decades. It also provides a peer-learning opportunity of the role of entrepreneurship in job creation in the United States of America (USA). An entrepreneurial-driven strategic framework for an effective and efficient job creation which may address unemployment challenges in South Africa is suggested as a way forward.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, employment, education

working papers series