With the aim to tackle youth unemployment and skills shortages, the eThekwini Municipality has taken more than 260 high school learners out of the classroom, and straight into the workplace.
Through its Take a Child to Work Programme, learners from Grades 8 to 12 were given a front-row seat to the world of work, spending the day inside various municipal departments across Durban.
The initiative, which included learners with disabilities from disadvantaged schools, is aimed at closing the growing gap between education and the labour market, a gap that continues to leave many young people unemployed despite completing their studies.
The programme kicked off at City Hall’s Church Walk, where learners engaged directly with senior officials and municipal leadership, gaining insight, motivation and a clearer sense of direction.
Chairperson of the Governance and Human Resources Committee, Nkosenhle Madlala, did not mince words. “We cannot afford a future where young people graduate into unemployment while critical skills are in short supply,” he said.
He described the programme as a strategic investment, not just in young people, but in the City’s long-term service delivery and economic growth.
“By exposing learners early to the world of work, we empower them to make informed subject and career choices that respond directly to real economic needs,” he added.
From engineering to administration, learners were placed across departments, shadowing professionals and experiencing first-hand what their future careers could look like.For many, the impact was immediate.
Nosipho Dlakude, a learner from uMkhumbi Secondary School in KwaMakhutha, said her placement in the Engineering Directorate changed her perspective.“Seeing women working confidently in engineering showed me that this space is also for me,” she said.
She added that the experience helped her understand what subjects to focus on, and what the job truly demands.
“This has given me clarity and courage to choose a career that can change my life and help my community,” she said.
City officials say this is exactly the kind of shift the programme is meant to spark. By linking education to real work environments early, the municipality hopes to build a workforce that is not only qualified, but relevant, skilled and ready to meet the demands of a changing economy.
As the city ramps up efforts to address unemployment and service delivery challenges, initiatives like this are positioning young people not just as future job seekers, but as future problem-solvers.
