South Africa’s labour market remains under severe strain, with structural unemployment continuing to limit economic participation, particularly among young people. According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa, the official unemployment rate stood at approximately 32.9 percent in the first quarter of 2025.
Youth unemployment remains even more alarming. Data shows that over 60 percent of South Africans aged 15 to 24 are unemployed, underscoring the growing difficulty young people face when transitioning from education into the labour market.
Within this context, the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority, CHIETA, is intensifying its “One Graduate, One Placement” campaign as a strategic response to the growing gap between qualifications and employment.
The campaign reflects a deliberate evolution in CHIETA’s approach to skills development. Rather than focusing predominantly on training outputs, the authority is prioritising measurable employment outcomes by directing greater support toward full time placements and strengthening employer incentives.
CHIETA Chief Executive Officer Yershen Pillay said the country must urgently address the structural disconnect between education systems and the economy.
“South Africa continues to produce qualified graduates, yet too many remain excluded from meaningful work. This is not simply a youth unemployment issue. It is a structural economic inclusion challenge. We must strengthen collaboration between SETAs, employers and training providers to ensure that qualifications translate into sustainable employment. A certificate alone does not transform a life. A job does,” Pillay said.
South Africa’s subdued economic growth, which has averaged around one to one and a half percent in recent years, continues to constrain job creation and reduce employer absorption capacity. In this environment, deliberate coordination across the skills ecosystem becomes essential to prevent graduates from becoming long term unemployed.
Through the “One Graduate, One Placement” campaign, CHIETA is profiling successful placement pathways, reinforcing partnerships with industry and encouraging both private and public sector organisations to increase graduate intake. The objective is clear: move from training as an activity metric to placement as an impact metric.
One example is Tashriefah Wilson, who obtained an NQF Level 4 qualification as a Chemical Plant Operator through CHIETA funding and secured full time employment at Jatun Paints in the Western Cape. Her placement illustrates how structured alignment between training providers and employers can deliver tangible results.
“It is one graduate off the street and into a decent job. One life changed. One family supported. But beyond the individual, it strengthens economic participation and restores confidence in the skills development system,” Pillay added.
The campaign operates alongside CHIETA’s expanded support for retrenched workers. More than 350 retrenched workers have already been placed into new opportunities, with a target of reaching 1 000 placements by December 2026.
Pillay emphasised that addressing unemployment requires a shift in how success is defined.
“If we are serious about economic transformation, we must measure outcomes in terms of livelihoods secured, not programmes completed. Sustainable growth depends on integrating skilled young people into productive work. Placement must become the benchmark.”
As South Africa confronts persistent unemployment and limited economic expansion, we will be transitioning our business model from grants to training to grants for placements.
