Yes 4 Youth Employment Services Leanership Applications

Youth Recruitment Employment Services

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YES does not act as a recruitment agency. Depending on the model selected by a business, youth recruitment can take place in one of two ways

:

1. Hosting youth within your own organisation
Businesses that choose to place youth directly within their operations are encouraged to use their existing recruitment processes. This approach has proven most effective in ensuring a good long-term fit between the youth and the organisation.

YES also strongly recommends that clients make use of the zero-rated SAYouth platform, which enables employers to source youth talent while allowing young people to register and apply for job opportunities.

2. YES turnkey solution
For businesses that opt for the YES turnkey model, recruitment is handled by YES-approved host implementation partners. In this case, youth are employed within the partner’s organisational structures rather than directly within the sponsoring business.

Organisational Performance and Impact

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, the Youth Employment Service (YES) significantly increased its impact, surpassing the previous year’s performance. During this period, YES facilitated 43,088 one-year job placements, representing a 16% increase compared to FY2024. This brings the total number of placements since YES’s launch in 2018 to 185,557.

Since inception, 1,875 businesses have registered with YES. The organisation has become a key contributor to the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI), generating 68% of demand-side jobs under the initiative without reliance on taxpayer funding. This success reflects the strength of YES as a high-impact public-private partnership, supported by both government incentives and private sector collaboration.

Youth Unemployment Context

Despite these achievements, youth unemployment in South Africa remains a severe challenge. Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (January–March 2025) shows that unemployment among young people aged 15–34 has risen to 46.1%, while the expanded unemployment rate has increased to 56.4%. Prolonged low economic growth—averaging around 1% annually over the past decade—has limited job creation and failed to absorb new labour market entrants.

Revised economic growth forecasts of 1.4% for 2025 and 1.6% for 2026 remain well below the estimated 5% growth required to meaningfully reduce unemployment.

The Role of YES and Public-Private Partnerships

In this challenging environment, YES and similar initiatives play a critical role in connecting young people to meaningful work opportunities. By introducing youth to the dignity and security of employment, YES helps lay the foundation for long-term economic inclusion.

The statutory recognition of YES within the B-BBEE framework has proven to be an effective incentive for business participation. Since inception, 3,397 YES programmes have qualified for B-BBEE level-up benefits. YES has also broadened its appeal by enabling businesses to sponsor placements through implementation partners in growth sectors such as tourism and the green economy, and by aligning YES participation with corporate ESG commitments.

Vision and Mission

Vision
To transform companies, communities, and the lives of young people by connecting youth to economic opportunity and dignity, and by building a future that works for all.

Mission
YES drives sustainable employability at scale by:

• Connecting youth with companies

• Transitioning young people into earning and sustainable futures

• Leveraging policy, incentives, and best practice to maximise business impact and performance

A company’s sustainability and ethical impact can be measured by how effectively it aligns with these goals, as well as broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles that promote youth inclusion, social mobility, and positive societal outcomes.

Register to APPLY: YES 4 YOUTH LEANERSHIPS HERE