Career Guidance and Counseling in the Context of Unemployment and Vulnerability: A Case Study of South Africa

Abstract

Despite almost 2 decades of democracy, the South African political economy is still characterized by high levels of unemployment and poverty coexisting with obscene levels of inequality in the distribution of income, wealth, land, educational attainment, and other assets. Race and gender remain crucial stratifying factors in South African society. The divergence between the country’s relatively high economic status (as measured, for example, by gross domestic product per capita) and its relatively low development status (measured, for example, by United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Index) is one of the largest internationally, implying that the benefits of economic growth are not being distributed equitably.

The reasons for this situation are many but lie mainly in the failure of government to effectively implement economic and social policies that address the needs of the previously disadvantaged segments of the population (namely Blacks, and more specifically Africans). One of the more tragic policy implementation failures concerns the failure to provide adequate levels of good quality education and training. There is substantial inequity in access to quality and success in education by race, gender, and region. The deficiencies in the education and training system are a key factor in explaining the high levels of unemployment, particularly youth employment, in the country. The coexistence of high levels of unemployment alongside serious skill shortages demonstrates that the education and training system is not providing young people with skills for gainful employment in the labor market.

The critical issue is the role that career guidance and counseling services can play within the context of these socioeconomic challenges confronting South Africa. However, such services cannot be developed and implemented unless human resource development (HRD), education and training, and job creation strategies are coordinated more effectively. Only then can career development services strive to motivate the youth to stay in school to receive quality and relevant education, to choose subjects and study fields that could lead them to learning pathways that will prepare them for occupations that are in demand, and to provide them with work readiness programs or other grounding opportunities to facilitate the transition from education to work.

The government’s new initiative under the leadership of the Department of Higher Education and Training endeavors to bring together all the relevant stakeholders necessary to drive an integrated and coordinated vision in terms of HRD, job creation strategies, and career development services. These stakeholders include other government departments (Basic Education; Labour; Trade and Industry; and Economic Development); the Further Education and Training (vocational education and training) colleges; the higher education institutions; the National Youth Development Agency; the South African Qualifications Authority; and the newly formed SA Career Development Association. The outcome is a national career guidance portal that will be accessible for the first time to all South Africans. This new initiative has created the platform for coordinated and collaborative thinking and planning regarding career development services. Moreover, the new initiative and thinking around career development attempts to promote the establishment of a culture of resilience and self-management of the career development of every South African.