Unemployed? Learn from the Springboks
If your job search is not going well, then follow the example of South Africa’s national rugby team and make some changes.
|||Johannesburg - South Africans are passionate about rugby.
The image of President Nelson Mandela wearing a Springbok jersey, dancing on the podium next to the captain Francois Pienaar after South Africa defeated the All Blacks and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, united South Africans and helped to create our rainbow nation.
The nation’s passion for rugby has not abated. South Africans were devastated when Japan defeated the Springboks in their first game in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Months of hard work and preparation had not delivered the expected result. Fortunately, the Springboks have changed their strategy and were victorious in subsequent games against Samoa, Scotland and the US.
“The Springboks’ defeat by the Japanese in the 2015 Rugby World Cup reminds me of the disappointment experienced by recent graduates from universities and TVET colleges who, despite working hard and making sacrifices, have not found employment,” says Cheryl James, chief executive of the Finance and Accounting Services Seta (Fasset).
“Graduates need to learn from the Springboks. They need to pick themselves up and change their strategy. This enabled the Springboks to win their next three games.”
Instead of only looking for employment opportunities, James urges graduates to look for chances to acquire work-readiness and other skills, which will make them more employable. Initiatives include internships offered by various companies and work-readiness programmes funded by setas and non-profit organisations.
“Fasset funds various work-readiness programmes, nationally, which equip unemployed graduates with work-readiness skills and some of the soft skills employers are looking for.
“These programmes have a placement rate into employment of over 7 percent ,” James says.
James uses the example of Fourie du Preez, who was excluded from the 2011 Rugby World Cup squad.
“Du Preez must have been deeply disappointed when he was not chosen, despite the fact that he is currently the best scrumhalf in the world.
After his exclusion from the team, he could never have imagined that he would be appointed captain after Jean de Villiers was forced to retire due to injuries.
“Graduates should be inspired by this story. They should also be inspired by Brian Habana’s hat-trick in the game against the USA.
“Unemployed graduates too can achieve a hat-trick. This entails completing their qualification; completing an internship or a work-readiness programme; and, finally, being placed into employment,” James says.
* For more information on Fasset-funded skills-development initiatives, visit www.fasset.org.za.
* Carol Butcher is Fasset’s media consultant.
THE STAR