Browsing by Author "Van der Westhuizen, Lana"

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    Factors influencing throughput of learners in the Youth Focus Project 2017 to 2020
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Van der Westhuizen, Lana; Bitzer, Eli; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Youth employment is an important factor for social cohesion because unemployed youth tend to undermine societal trust in institutions, while under-employment can inflict serious scars on youth that could last for years. The unemployment level for low-skilled people in South Africa is consistently high as the National Senior Certificate has become the norm as a minimum entry requirement for most workplaces. Further to a Grade 12 certificate, job applicants also need cognitive and technical skills to successfully enter employment. Currently, unemployment is generally higher for youth, even though they are the most highly educated generation in history. For instance, youth who are not in employment or training numbered 40 million in Organisations for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in 2015, while 28 million were inactive job seekers, which has led to the social and labour market integration of young people becoming a policy priority for OECD governments. As of 2019, 19 million South African adults (57% of the adult population) did not hold a Grade 12 school qualification. While there is a strong need for ‘second chance’ interventions for young people who did not complete Grade 12, these youth are often overlooked when such programmes are implemented. In 2013 however, the Western Cape Education Department introduced the Youth Focus Project (YFP) specifically for the cohort of learners who did not complete Grade 12. The present study aimed at finding out what influenced the throughput of second chance learners on learnership programmes such as the YFP. Through a phenomenological approach grounded in an interpretivist research paradigm study participants’ lived experiences were explored. Narrative data indicated that academic failure at school played an important role in entering the YFP learnership. Participants generally responded well to the (Boland) college environment, the workplace-based component included in the YFP and the academic content matter. Furthermore, they also indicated that stipends allowed them to become more financially independent. While bullying, challenging personal relationships and academic challenges influenced their learning at school negatively, aspects which were confirmed to provide positive YFP learner re-enforcement were a nurturing environment and respect, interesting and occupationally directed subject matter, clear career goals and learner grit. The overall findings of the present study support Tinto’s (1993) student integration framework and led to the conclusion that institutional support encouraged learners to persist while smaller class groups and one-on-one attention enhanced learner performance. In addition, a career focused curriculum provided them with the impetus to achieve, while participants reiterated that it was academic success and the prospect of entering a career that inspired them to complete.