Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Dr Nomalungelo Gina is urging the private sector to provide more internship opportunities for young graduates, describing youth unemployment as a national emergency.

“We need every employer in the private sector, municipalities, and State-owned enterprises to double their absorption of young graduates each year. The future of our country depends on it,” she appealed.

Speaking at a gala dinner hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Gina pointed to the 45.5% official youth unemployment rate (and 62.1% under the expanded definition) and warned that South Africa is “sitting on a ticking time bomb” if bold action is not taken.

The HSRC event marked 20 years of an impactful graduate internship programme and celebrated 131 graduates who have just completed their two-year training at various institutions across the country.

Since its inception in 2005, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) Graduate Internship Programme, implemented through the HSRC, has provided over 7 600 unemployed graduates with valuable workplace experience and research skills in science, engineering and technology, as well as in the humanities and social sciences.

Gina pointed out that in terms of demographics, 91% of interns placed were black (African, Coloured and Indian), while 68% were female and 2% were persons with disabilities.

“To date, more than 200 institutions have hosted interns, contributing meaningfully to skills development across the country. These institutions include science councils, national facilities, museums, government agencies, private companies, and higher education institutions,” she said.

Gina explained that the initiative had become one of the most impactful interventions in tackling graduate unemployment and developing skills for the economy.

“…these interventions are not only producing a skilled workforce for science, technology and the social sciences, they are nurturing future entrepreneurs who will innovate, commercialise new ideas, and become employers themselves,” she added.

Gina encouraged graduates to remain proactive.

“You are no longer graduates without experience. Use your networks, stay visible, and show initiative. As the African proverb says, ‘The earliest bird catches the fattest worm’,” she said.