The Centre for Social Sciences Research (CSSR) and the  Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa  (IDCPPA) at the University of Cape Town invite you to join us for a lunchtime seminar on 18 June 2024 at 12:45pm. The seminar will be presented by Associate Professor/ Chief Researcher Ariane De Lannoy.

About the Seminar:

Design, implementation and results of a "Basic Package of Support for NEET youth in South Africa

Over three million young people aged 15-24 are not in employment, education or training (NEET) in South Africa (Mudiriza and De Lannoy, 2023). Research indicates that when youth remain NEET for extended periods, they are at risk of longer-term economic and social exclusion, and psychological ill health (Branson et al., 2019; Gariépy et al., 2021; Rahmani and Groot, 2023). The situation perpetuates a cycle of exclusion that exacts a significant toll on the affected youth, their families, and society at large.

Very few interventions in South Africa take these cycles of exclusion into account. Instead, the plethora of state and non-state interventions that offer education, work, health and social services support to youth are poorly coordinated, often addressing only one aspect of youth needs at a time (De Lannoy et al, 2019). As young people struggle to access services, they inevitably lose contact with formal systems, and become difficult to reach. To address this situation, a consortium of stakeholders from academia, policy, civil society, and development  partners has led a research and pilot implementation process to define, test and refine a Basic Package of Support for NEET youth (BPS) (De Lannoy et al, 2019).

This paper describes the methodology underlying the design and implementation of BPS, and lessons learned from the first 18 months of piloting the intervention. Findings indicate the programme's success to invite previously disconnected youth to a coaching trajectory, and to move them from discouragement and hopelessness to action and a reorientation towards learning and earning opportunities. The paper concludes with reflections on potential pathways for scale for BPS post the initial pilot phase.

Speakers

Ariane De Lannoy is Associate Professor at SALDRU, UCT, specialising in youth well-being and youth development in post-apartheid South Africa. She is one of the leads on the Basic Package of Support for NEET youth program and leads the development of the Youth and Community Explorer platforms. These projects support comprehensive policy planning and implementation. Ariane has 20+ years of research experience, holds grants from UNICEF, AFD, EU, and National Treasury and works in close collaboration with the South African Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.

 18 June 2024
 12:45 - 14:00 SAST
  CSSR Seminar Room, 4.29 Robert Leslie Social Science Building, UCT

Hosted by the Centre for Social Science Research and the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa