The unemployment rate for graduates is high at 7% out of 433 000 people, while 1 in 4 SA University students are being diagnosed with depression. Taking these challenges into consideration, do students face a bleak future in SA? Or can institutions play a role in managing these challenges to achieve more positive outcomes. 

With February behind us, both students and institutions alike were occupied with registrations. While this is a busy time for institutions, it is an especially significant time for students of 2019. This is the beginning of their future, filled moments of important decisions that will pave the way.

But with South Africa’s high unemployment rate and so many challenges students will face along the way – the future of South African students is everything but secure. Should institutions play a role in solving unemployment? 

Employability challenge accepted

Institutions can and should play a role in setting up students for employability. In fact, employability outcomes are increasingly integral to Higher Learning Institutions. Central to these outcomes is the development of student skills and abilities for the workplace. Essentially how well graduates are faring in the job market post-graduation has become a Key Performance Indicator for the South African Education Sector.  

But how can an institution become “better” at achieving employability for students? One proven way would be to adopt tools that harness innovative technology that integrates employability across an institution. Through configurable and robust software, students would be linked to recruiters and recruiters in turn gain access to an extensive resource base of entry-level talent available. 

Discreet, strategic and proactive

Racial tension, sexual offences and class discrimination are challenges South African students face on a regular basis. Added to this, suicide is the second leading cause of death on campus after accidents. To manage these sensitive matters, institutions need a strategic solution for student conduct and behavioural intervention management. It is also important that students have access to a safe space where they can report issues in a user-friendly, simple and confidential manner. And with improved access to vital information, institutions can develop proactive strategies not only to react to incidents, but to pre-empt where necessary.