Premier Sisi Ntombela said this during a meeting held with SETA representatives at OR Tambo House in Bloemfontein on 29 September 2022. 

According to Ntombela, the meeting sought to identify opportunities and solutions to a wide range of issues that are affecting young people in the province, namely the prevailing lack of adequate opportunities, poverty, which is perpetuated by a high rate of youth unemployment, and a lack of skill development and training programmes.

Ntombela expressed her concern over a lack of coordination between the skill development office and SETAs. She further said that the failure to allocate money is unacceptable given the suffering of young people in the province.

Ntombela said young people are now plagued by substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and widespread HIV and AIDS, particularly amongst young girls, due to a lack of skill development and job opportunities.

She explained that opportunities presented to young people must directly respond to representative programmes and the prevailing material conditions of young people on the ground. She also said that there has to be an undeniable appetite to empower not only prospective youth beneficiaries, but also accredited trainers in the province.

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In 2021, Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke, released results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the second quarter, which indicated that the number of discouraged job hunters had increased, with 186 000 more discouraged workers recorded between the first quarter of the year and the second. 

During this time, the Free State province recorded the second highest unemployment rate of 36.5%, with 53% of the working population discouraged.

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