Unemployable matriculants could be part of grim unemployment statistics shortly, warns Solidarity
Only four out of every ten matriculants who enter the labour force after matric will find employment - the rest will probably become part of the grim unemployment statistics of South Africa, trade union Solidarity warned today. Solidarity attributes this trend to the unemployability of the majority of matriculants, seeing that school in effect does not prepare pupils, even those who pass, for the labour market.
These shocking findings form part of the Solidarity Research Institute's (SRI) annual report on the prospects for 2010's matriculants that was published today on the eve of the release of this year's matric results.
The study points out that 2011, like the previous two years, is likely to be a difficult year for South African employees and job seekers. "Job opportunities will continue to be limited. Matriculants who hope to enter the labour market immediately will be confronted with this reality and will probably have to start at the bottom of the career ladder," deputy general secretary of Solidarity, Dr Dirk Hermann, explained.
According to Hermann, a matric certificate alone does not offer job seekers a real advantage. "The current state of the labour market will already prove challenging for this year's matriculants. What makes matters worse is that a school education does not equip school-leavers adequately for the labour market," he added.
"What is more, the pass rate of subjects like Mathematics, Accounting and Physical Sciences that contribute to employability is extremely poor. Although the pass rate of home language subjects and Life Orientation is very good, these types of subjects do not really equip pupils with marketable skills."
The SRI research shows that the majority of matriculants do not become skilled enough in critical subjects like Mathematics in school. Of the more than 552 000 matrics who wrote the matric exam in 2009, only 60,6% passed.
Only 24,2% (that is, 133 789) of the entire group passed Mathematics with a mark of 30% or higher. Only 9,6% of matriculants, that is, 52 866, passed Mathematics with a mark of 50% or higher and a mere 1,6% obtained a distinction in this subject. "If these percentages are compared with the total number of pupils who started their school education in 1998 and who should have matriculated in 2009, the picture looks even more grim.
Of the 1,44 million pupils who started school 12 years ago, only 0,6% eventually obtained a distinction in Mathematics in 2009. It is likely that similar figures will apply in the case of 2010's matriculants, which does not bode well for the school-leavers who will receive their results this week," Hermann explained.
The lowest simple average pass mark that a matriculant can have is 30% which, according to Hermann, raises several questions about the ultimate value of a matric certificate. "You do an 18-year-old an injustice by telling him he is ready for further study or skilled work on the basis of a cut-off mark of 30%. Matriculants gets a pat on the pack for making the Department of Education's statistics look good through their participation in a system of mediocrity, while the 12 years they spent in school did not prepare them for a career," according to Hermann.
Solidarity stresses that further training offers the best possible chance to avoid unemployment. Studies show that employees with a tertiary qualification were the least affected by the past labour recession. "Tertiary qualifications offer employees a degree of protection and job security in difficult times. Although having a matric certificate is better than having no qualification whatsoever, it does not guarantee job security," Hermann said.
Matriculants who intend to obtain a tertiary qualification are on the right track, according to Hermann. "Any tertiary qualification reduces a person's chances of being unemployed. Labour market data of 2007 clearly show that a university degree generally carries more weight than a diploma or other tertiary qualification. To increase one's chances of job security, careers where there are skills shortages are the ideal option. Qualifications in the medical, engineering, information technology, financial and technical fields are particularly sought after as a result of skills shortages," Hermann explained.
Background information on the study "Prospects for 2010's matriculants"
The study examines, among other things, the state of the South African labour market, unemployment trends and the participation of young people aged between 15 and 24 in the labour market. The study also contains an estimation of the prospects this year's matriculants have in respect of entry into the labour market and an analysis of 2009's matric results.
Statement issued by Dirk Hermann, Deputy general secretary: Solidarity and Paul Joubert, Researcher: Solidarity Research Institute, January 4 2011
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