Boosting Youth Employment through Internships
A powerful new thought leadership paper titled “Pathways to Inclusion: Leveraging Internships and Graduate Programmes to Boost Youth Employment in South Africa.” It’s aimed at HR leaders and outlines how internships and graduate programmes can help companies develop young talent while addressing one of South Africa’s most urgent challenges.
Youth unemployment in South Africa is a national emergency. Yet corporate HR leaders have the power to be part of the solution. This Duja Consulting paper explores how internships, learnerships and graduate programmes can be strategically used to break the “no experience, no job” trap, build critical workplace skills, and meet B-BBEE and compliance goals — all while growing a pipeline of future-fit talent.
8 key insights include:
- Why youth unemployment is a structural crisis
- How internships close the experience gap
- B-BBEE, YES and tax incentives decoded
- Innovative sector-based success stories
- Designing high-impact internship programmes
- Integrating mentorship and work readiness
- Performance monitoring and job absorption
- Why Duja Consulting is your expert partner
It’s time to reimagine internships not as cost centres but catalysts for change.
Introduction
Youth unemployment in South Africa remains a chronic challenge that demands bold, collaborative solutions. South Africa’s young people (aged 15–34) make up just over half of the working-age population, yet they face disproportionately high unemployment rates. This thought leadership paper explores how structured internships, learnerships, and graduate programmes can be strategically used to tackle youth unemployment. It is geared toward corporate HR leaders, positioning these programmes not only as talent pipelines for companies but as critical pathways to economic inclusion, skills development, and workforce transformation. Duja Consulting – a thought leader and implementation partner in the internship and graduate programme space – is woven throughout as an expert resource on designing and executing high-impact youth development initiatives.
HR leaders occupy a unique position to align business needs with social imperatives. By strengthening internship and graduate programmes, HR professionals can help break systemic cycles of youth joblessness while also cultivating the next generation of skilled employees. The following sections delve into the systemic challenges facing South African youth, innovative practices and success stories in work-based learning, the policy incentives (such as B-BBEE and tax benefits) that encourage youth training, and practical guidance on improving programme design, implementation, and impact measurement. The goal is to highlight how these interventions serve as pathways to economic participation for young people and drivers of organisational transformation.
South Africa’s Youth Employment Landscape
Youth unemployment rates have risen sharply over the past decade in South Africa, particularly among the youngest job seekers, as illustrated above. In 2015, the official unemployment rate for youth (15–34 years) stood at 36.9%. By the first quarter of 2025, it had climbed to 46.1%. Among teenagers and young adults (15–24 years), joblessness surged from 50.3% to a staggering 62.4% over the same period. Even for those aged 25–34 – typically better qualified and more likely to have some work experience – unemployment rose from 31.4% to 40.4%. These figures underscore a worsening crisis in youth employment. South Africa’s overall unemployment is high (around 33% in early 2025), but it is the youth who bear the brunt of job scarcity.
The scale of disengagement is immense. There are roughly 20.9 million South Africans aged 15–34, about half the country’s working-age population. Yet nearly half of these young people are not in employment, education or training (the NEET rate for 15–34-year-olds is about 45.1%). This means millions of youth are idle or discouraged. In the first quarter of 2025, 1.9 million young people had given up looking for work entirely. Among the 4.8 million officially unemployed youth, almost 59% have never held a job before. In other words, nearly six in ten unemployed young people are still waiting for their first opportunity to enter the labour market – caught in the trap of needing experience to get a job, but needing a job to gain experience. This experience gap is a primary barrier to their economic inclusion.
Beyond the headline unemployment rates, systemic disparities further define the youth employment landscape. Educational attainment greatly influences employment prospects. Youth without a matric (high school) certificate face an unemployment rate above 50%, whereas those with tertiary qualifications fare better – university graduates have an unemployment rate of 23.9%, significantly lower than the youth average. This illustrates that education offers some protection, yet even nearly a quarter of young graduates are jobless, reflecting weak labour absorption capacity. There are also geographical and gender dimensions: provinces like the Eastern Cape and North West see youth unemployment exceeding 54%, exacerbated by very low labour force participation in those regions. Young women consistently face higher NEET rates and unemployment than young men, indicating that gender inequality compounds the challenge. Overall, the data paints a sobering picture of a generation struggling to find footholds in the economy.
Systemic Challenges Hindering Youth Employment
High youth unemployment in South Africa is a structural problem linked to multiple systemic challenges. One key issue is the skills mismatch between what the economy demands and what the education system supplies. Each year approximately 1.2 million young South Africans enter the labour force, yet over 65% of them fail to secure jobs. Many school leavers and even graduates lack the technical skills and workplace readiness that employers need in growth industries. The economy’s major sectors – such as finance, business services, trade, manufacturing, mining, and agriculture – have opportunities, but too often youth are not equipped with the relevant competencies to step into those roles. This skills gap leaves many positions unfilled or filled by older, experienced workers while youth remain unemployed. Strengthening demand-driven training and aligning educational curricula with industry needs are ongoing challenges.
Another structural barrier is the lack of work experience – a classic “no experience, no job” dilemma. With nearly 60% of unemployed youth having never worked, employers are often hesitant to hire them for anything beyond entry-level, and even entry-level jobs attract more experienced candidates in a competitive market. This creates a vicious cycle whereby young people can’t build experience because they are not given the chance to do so. Compounding this, social networks and workplace exposure are limited for many marginalised youth. Those from affluent or connected backgrounds often have better access to information, mentorship, or entry-level opportunities through personal networks. In contrast, youth from poorer communities may lack social capital and exposure to workplaces, making it harder to break in.
Quality of basic education and training is another systemic issue. While South Africa has improved access to schooling, the outcomes (literacy, numeracy, technical skills) often do not meet labour market standards. Many youth leave school without the foundational skills needed for further training or employment. Vocational education (TVET colleges) has been under-resourced historically, though efforts are underway to revitalise it. TVET and artisan training are crucial for industries like manufacturing, construction, and infrastructure, yet stigmas and past misalignment with industry needs have limited their impact. The government’s strategy now is to expand and modernise TVET offerings in partnership with industry and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to produce more skilled artisans and technicians each year. Early indications show that collaborative programmes – for example, mining companies partnering with training academies to prepare local youth as miners and artisans – can produce job-ready candidates for those sectors. Scaling such initiatives is vital to tackle structural unemployment.
Finally, economic and policy conditions play a role. South Africa’s overall economic growth has been sluggish in recent years, limiting new job creation. When growth sectors like Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) or technology do expand, they often face skills shortages, which underscores the importance of rapid upskilling of youth for those fields. Government policies like the National Development Plan 2030 and the National Youth Policy 2020–2030 recognise these issues and call for systemic interventions – from improving basic education to incentivising youth hiring and entrepreneurship. However, policy alone cannot solve unemployment; implementation and partnership with the private sector are critical. This is where well-designed internships, learnerships, and graduate programmes come in – they directly address some of these systemic barriers by providing youth with skills, experience, and networks in a real work environment.
Internships, Learnerships and Graduate Programmes as Pathways to Inclusion
In the face of these challenges, workplace-based learning (WBL) programmes – including internships, learnerships, apprenticeships, and structured graduate trainee programmes – have emerged as essential pathways for youth to gain entry into the labour market. These programmes bridge the gap between education and employment by equipping young people with practical experience, on-the-job skills, and exposure to workplace culture that cannot be learned in a classroom alone. They serve as pathways to economic inclusion for first-time jobseekers, breaking the cycle of “no experience, no job” by providing that critical first work experience in a supported manner.
Learnerships and apprenticeships are structured programmes that combine theoretical training with practical work. A learnership in South Africa is a formally registered programme leading to a nationally recognised qualification, typically lasting 12 months. It’s a core pillar of the national skills development strategy, supported by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and SETAs. Learnerships allow candidates (often those with only a high school education) to gain work experience while studying for a qualification in a specific field. For example, a learnership in IT or in office administration will include both coursework and hands-on work at a company, culminating in an NQF-accredited certificate. Similarly, apprenticeships focus on trades and skilled crafts (electricians, plumbers, mechanics, etc.), usually over a longer period, and emphasise mastery of practical competencies under a mentor’s guidance. These programmes directly tackle the skills gap by aligning training content with industry-defined standards, ensuring that participants develop both the knowledge and the practical abilities employers require. Importantly, learnerships and apprenticeships typically come with a stipend, which enables youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate without undue financial hardship.
Internships are another key avenue, particularly for those who have completed higher education (college or university) but lack work experience. An internship is usually a shorter-term placement (ranging from a few months to a year) in which a graduate or student works in a company to apply their academic learning in a real-world context. Interns often work on projects or assist in departments relevant to their field of study – for instance, an HR graduate might intern with a company’s HR team. While internships may or may not be tied to a formal qualification, they are critical for exposing young people to workplace culture, helping them build professional networks, and improving their employability through experience. Many interns gain invaluable soft skills like communication, teamwork, and business etiquette – attributes that employers often find lacking in first-time jobseekers who haven’t been in a workplace before. A well-structured internship can significantly enhance a graduate’s resume and often serves as a foot in the door – companies frequently hire from their pool of good interns.
Large organisations also invest in graduate programmes – structured, multi-month (or multi-year) trainee programmes for recent graduates. These programmes, commonly found in sectors like finance, consulting, engineering, and ICT, are designed to rotate graduates through different departments or roles, provide formal training and mentorship, and develop them into future leaders or specialists within the organisation. Duja Consulting notes that bespoke graduate programmes can be used to create a young talent pipeline aligned with the company’s culture and skill needs. By carefully selecting and grooming high-potential graduates, companies not only fill immediate entry-level roles but also build a cadre of future managers and innovators who understand the business. From the youth’s perspective, graduate programmes offer a golden opportunity to fast-track their careers, often providing a breadth of exposure that a single entry-level job might not. Such programmes typically come with competitive stipends and intentional development plans, making them highly attractive to top graduates.
What makes internships, learnerships, and graduate programmes especially powerful in South Africa’s context is that they also advance transformation and inclusion. These programmes are often explicitly targeted at historically disadvantaged youth – aligning with Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) goals to increase the participation of black South Africans in skilled occupations. In fact, work-based learning programmes are a high priority for government and play a prominent role in B-BBEE scorecard point allocation. Companies earn B-BBEE Skills Development points by investing in training for black employees and unemployed black youth, and additional bonus points by absorbing (hiring) those individuals at the end of the programme. Thus, a well-implemented internship or learnership not only builds talent for the company and skills for the individual, but also contributes to the company’s B-BBEE compliance and the broader transformation of the economy. Duja Consulting emphasises that learnerships, internships and graduate programmes are strategic tools to create a young talent pipeline and support your B-BBEE scorecard – they allow businesses to nurture future employees from the ground up while meeting social responsibility and compliance objectives. Moreover, programmes like learnerships come with additional support such as tax incentives (discussed later) which make them financially attractive to employers.
In summary, these work-based learning pathways serve as bridges to opportunity. They give youth a chance to prove themselves, gain skills, and build a track record – converting raw potential into employable experience. At the same time, they provide employers with eager talent who can be moulded to fit organisational needs and culture. When scaled up, internships and learnerships can chip away at the youth unemployment crisis by opening doors for thousands of first-time entrants. They are not a panacea – quality and implementation matter – but as part of a comprehensive strategy, they are indispensable for fostering economic inclusion, skills development, and transformation in South Africa.
Innovative Models and Success Stories in Youth Development
While many companies run their own internship and graduate schemes, some of the most impressive successes in youth employment have come from innovative partnerships and models that span multiple stakeholders. One standout example is the Youth Employment Service (YES) – a private sector-led initiative launched in 2018 in collaboration with government to stimulate the creation of one-year work experiences for unemployed youth. The YES programme incentivises companies to hire additional youth (over and above their normal headcount) by offering significant B-BBEE benefits (up to a two-level boost on their B-BBEE scorecard) in return. The impact of YES has been remarkable: by late 2024, over 163,000 year-long work opportunities had been created for youth through more than 1,800 participating businesses, injecting an estimated R9.2 billion into the economy via youth stipends. This is the highest-impact private-sector youth employment programme in the country’s history. YES has demonstrated that with the right incentives, companies of all sizes are willing to invest in hiring and training youth at scale. From an HR perspective, many firms have found value in these YES interns – some youth prove themselves during the 12-month stint and are absorbed into permanent roles, whereas others depart with solid work experience that improves their employability elsewhere. The programme thus benefits both the company (which gains B-BBEE levels and a talent pool) and the youth (who gain experience and income) – a true win-win.
Another success story comes from the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, which has become a beacon of hope for youth employment in South Africa. BPO (notably call centres and back-office services) is a growing industry that actively seeks young talent and provides structured on-the-job training. In the Western Cape, an industry-led BPO skills development project places unemployed youth in 4–12 month call centre internships, combining formal training, hands-on experience, and mentorship. Crucially, this programme mandates that at least 80% of participants receive job offers upon completion, making it a high-impact model for translating training into actual employment. By setting a clear absorption target, the BPO programme ensures it is not training for training’s sake but genuinely creating new entrants into the workforce. Such demand-led initiatives – where industry needs directly shape the training content and the numbers of interns – demonstrate how aligning skills development with market demand can yield excellent results. The BPO sector’s success with youth has been aided by its willingness to hire matriculants and non-graduates, giving them intensive customer service and digital skills training, often with quick progression for high performers. Many global companies have outsourced operations to South African BPO providers precisely because they can tap into this enthusiastic, trainable youth workforce. The fact that call centres have absorbed tens of thousands of young South Africans in recent years is a testament to how structured internships and entry-level job programmes can thrive in a sector with the right mix of demand and support.
Large corporations in other sectors have also built exemplary programmes. The Foschini Group (TFG), a leading retail company, provides a great illustration of a holistic youth development strategy. TFG aligns its efforts with the National Development Plan goal of reducing unemployment, and through various youth initiatives, they create “quality workplace contracts to learn and grow” for young people. For instance, TFG runs 12-month learnerships in retail, manufacturing and call centre operations for unqualified, unemployed youth, placing learners in stores, factories and service centres. Those who perform well are likely to be absorbed into permanent roles at the end, and in any case, every learner comes out with an accredited qualification, improving their long-term employability. Simultaneously, TFG offers internships of 12–18 months for graduates in head office functions (buying, HR, finance, IT, etc.), where each intern is mentored and coached to ensure a quality experience. Many of these interns either secure jobs within TFG or leverage the experience to join other companies in the industry. TFG’s approach is noteworthy for its commitment to quality – they invest in work readiness training (even providing smartphones loaded with learning content to YES programme participants), and treat these programmes as a talent pipeline rather than a tick-box exercise. The result is a steady influx of young talent into their workforce and a contribution to wider youth employment.
There are also impressive public-private partnerships and NGO-led innovations. The non-profit Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator has built a network of over 500,000 work-seekers and hundreds of employers, using sophisticated matching tools and bridging programmes to help employers hire first-time workers. Since 2011, Harambee has connected more than 100,000 young South Africans with jobs by preparing them through short-term work readiness programmes and then linking them to companies that are willing to hire youth who show potential rather than experience. Their model, which includes assessing candidates’ trainability and providing “work-seeker support” (like transport subsidies and soft skills training), has become a blueprint for tackling the friction in entry-level hiring. Many companies partner with Harambee to source reliable youth candidates who have been pre-screened and upskilled in basics, thus lowering the risk of hiring inexperienced staff.
Another innovative example is the collaboration in the Western Cape’s Provincial Government with local NGOs to run the BPO internship programme mentioned earlier. This multi-stakeholder approach pools government funding, NGO training expertise, and industry placement opportunities to achieve results that none of the parties could deliver alone. Similarly, corporate-sponsored initiatives like the MTN Foundation’s “Digital Skills for Digital Jobs” programme train hundreds of youth in coding, data analytics, and other ICT skills, coupled with life skills and entrepreneurship modules, thereby preparing them for the digital economy or even to start their own ventures. The MTN programme’s holistic approach recognises that some trainees may become job creators themselves. These kinds of forward-looking programmes are crucial given the rise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – by equipping youth with digital competencies, they increase employability across multiple sectors and future-proof the workforce.
What do these success stories teach us? A few common threads emerge: intentional design, stakeholder collaboration, and clear outcome targets. Programmes that succeed tend to have a well-thought-out structure (blending training with real work), committed partners (be it government incentives, NGOs, or company leadership buy-in), and a focus on measurable outcomes like job placement or retention rates. Duja Consulting advocates for such best practices in every internship or learnership initiative – ensuring there is a plan from recruitment to exit, and beyond. By learning from these models, HR leaders in any company can uplift their own youth programmes. Even if your organisation cannot hire hundreds of interns, partnering with industry bodies or initiatives like YES can amplify impact. The successes also show that providing “wrap-around” support – such as mentoring, soft-skills training, and even basic needs like transport or stipends – often makes the difference in enabling youth to thrive in the workplace. Ultimately, the stories prove that when given a foot in the door and proper support, South African youth can and do seize the opportunity: they gain skills, demonstrate resilience, and become productive employees or entrepreneurs. Internships and graduate programmes, when done right, are literally transformative: transforming individual lives and contributing to a more inclusive economy.
Aligning Programmes with Policy and Incentives
For HR leaders designing youth employment programmes, it is important to understand and leverage the policy environment and incentives that support these initiatives in South Africa. The government has put in place various mechanisms – from legislation to financial incentives – to encourage companies to invest in youth skills development and employment. Aligning internship and learnership programmes with these policies not only enhances their impact but can also unlock significant benefits for the organisation.
Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) is a central policy driving corporate investment in youth training. Under the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice, companies are awarded points for the Skills Development element of the scorecard, which measures investment in training for black people (including employees and unemployed learners). Learnerships, internships, and apprenticeships feature prominently here – firms earn points by hosting black unemployed youth in accredited training programmes, paying for their training, and often by employing them afterward. In fact, a company can earn up to 8 points (including bonus points) on the B-BBEE scorecard through such initiatives. Bonus points (typically 5 extra points) are specifically available for absorption – hiring a percentage of the trainees into permanent jobs after programme completion. For example, by sponsoring an unemployed young person through a 12-month learnership and then offering them a long-term employment contract, a company can gain 5 extra B-BBEE points on top of the points for training spend. This absorption incentive was introduced to combat the trend of learners being trained but then left unemployed; it essentially rewards companies for converting training into real jobs. HR leaders should thus plan for post-programme placement – either within the company or via partners – not only because it’s socially responsible, but because it directly boosts B-BBEE performance.
The Youth Employment Service (YES) initiative, as discussed, is another policy-driven mechanism. It operates slightly differently from the standard scorecard: by meeting certain youth hiring targets (linked to the company’s size) for a 12-month period, a business can improve its B-BBEE rating by one or even two levels. This is a substantial incentive – a two-level jump can be the difference between missing and winning major contracts in sectors where B-BBEE compliance is important. YES requires creating new positions for youth (either within the company or through sponsoring placements at qualifying SMEs or NGOs), and a modest absorption requirement (e.g. 2.5% of the youth to be hired permanently for one level up, 5% for two levels up). Thousands of companies, including many multinationals that previously had no avenue to improve their B-BBEE due to low black ownership, have joined YES to take advantage of this benefit. For HR, implementing a YES programme means recruiting a cohort of young people into internships or entry-level roles for one year, ensuring they receive a “quality work experience” (as defined by YES guidelines), and then facilitating absorption of a portion of them. The process requires careful planning – aligning the timing with the company’s B-BBEE verification cycle, and ensuring mentorship and support for the YES youth – but the payoff is both a concrete contribution to alleviating youth unemployment and a stronger B-BBEE profile for the business. Integrating YES youth into existing internship or learnership schemes can be an efficient strategy, since it provides structure and training to those hires. Duja Consulting, as an implementation partner, has experience coordinating such programmes so that companies meet YES criteria while also deriving real value from the year-long placements.
Beyond B-BBEE, tax incentives also encourage firms to host trainees. South African tax law (Section 12H of the Income Tax Act) provides a learnership tax allowance to employers for registered learnerships. This allowance permits the company to deduct a set amount from taxable income for each learner, both during the training and upon completion. For instance, for learnerships entered into after 2016, an employer can deduct R40,000 per learner per year for learners in NQF Level 1–6 programmes (and R20,000 for NQF 7–10, typically graduates) – and when the learner successfully completes the programme, the company can deduct an additional R40,000 completion allowance (or R20,000 for higher NQF levels) in that tax year. These amounts are even higher (R60,000 or R50,000) if the learner is a person with a disability. Effectively, the government shoulders some of the cost of training by reducing the company’s tax burden. HR and finance departments should collaborate to ensure all eligible learnerships are properly registered with a SETA and that the company claims these allowances – it can make a significant difference in the net cost of the programme. For example, if a company takes on 10 learners on a one-year NQF Level 4 learnership, it could potentially deduct 10 × R40,000 = R400,000 from taxable income for the year, and another R400,000 if all complete successfully, in addition to normal training expense deductions. This makes investing in learnerships very attractive from a financial perspective, especially when combined with the fact that those learners contribute to B-BBEE scoring as well. Duja Consulting assists clients by handling the SETA registrations and compliance paperwork, ensuring companies can fully realise these SARS incentives.
Other policy alignments include the National Skills Fund and SETA grants. Companies that pay the skills development levy (a payroll tax) can access grants for training initiatives, particularly pivotal or scarce skills programmes registered with SETAs. Many SETAs co-fund internships or learnerships in their sector if companies are willing to host the learners. HR leaders should tap into their Skills Development Facilitators (SDFs) – whether internal or outsourced – to apply for such funding and ensure Workplace Skills Plans include these learning programmes. As Duja’s services indicate, managing SETA relations and reporting is critical. Additionally, alignment with national policies like the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) and the National Youth Policy can guide programme design. These policies call for scalable, multi-sector strategies to bridge the school-to-work transition. Companies that align their internships with these broader initiatives (for example, focusing on sectors identified as growth areas for youth jobs, or incorporating digital skills training in line with the national digital skills strategy) will not only contribute to national objectives but often find additional support or recognition from government agencies.
In summary, South Africa’s policy landscape actively encourages and rewards companies for investing in youth employment pathways. HR leaders should see B-BBEE and tax incentives not as bureaucratic hurdles but as tools that make the business case for internships and graduate programmes even stronger. By designing programmes that meet these policy frameworks – for instance, focusing on unemployed black youth, committing to hire some of the trainees, ensuring programmes are accredited where possible – organisations can simultaneously maximise their compliance benefits and the positive impact on young people’s lives. This alignment turns what might be seen purely as a CSR effort into a strategic win for the company: improved B-BBEE scores, financial rebates, and a pipeline of skilled, young talent ready to drive the business forward.
Improving Programme Design and Implementation: A Guide for HR Leaders
Designing and running an effective internship, learnership, or graduate programme requires thoughtful planning and continuous management. HR leaders can take several concrete steps to improve programme design, implementation, and ultimately, the impact these initiatives have on both the youth participants and the organisation. Drawing on best practices and Duja Consulting’s extensive experience as an implementation partner, this section provides guidance on how to elevate these programmes from a basic compliance exercise to a high-impact talent and transformation strategy.
1. Start with clear objectives and alignment to business needs.
Before launching or revamping a programme, HR should work with leadership to define what success looks like. Is the goal to build a pipeline for specific scarce skills? To improve diversity in certain departments? To support a community or national initiative? Perhaps all of the above. A clear mandate will guide the design. For instance, if a tech company needs more software developers, an internship programme in partnership with a coding academy could be established to recruit and train young coders. Align the programme with business strategy: identify departments or projects where interns/trainees can genuinely contribute and learn. This ensures buy-in from line managers because the programme is helping meet real talent needs, not just creating busywork. Duja Consulting often assists clients in this initial diagnostic phase – determining what blend of learnerships, internships, or graduate trainees would best address the organisation’s talent gaps and transformation goals. When business units see that an internship programme is producing candidates with relevant skills (say, junior sales agents, lab technicians, or software testers), they become champions of its continuation and growth.
2. Design structured programmes with defined learning outcomes.
An internship or graduate programme should not be ad hoc; it benefits from having a curriculum or framework just like any training course. This doesn’t mean interns only sit in classrooms – rather, design the work rotation and tasks such that over the course of the programme, the individual is exposed to key areas of the business and develops specific competencies. For example, a one-year graduate programme might include four rotations of three months each in different departments, combined with formal training modules (leadership, communication, technical skills) at each milestone. Clearly outline what technical skills, soft skills, and project experience the participant should gain by the end. Having these learning outcomes ensures that even if an intern is not hired permanently, they leave more employable and with a set of skills to show for their time. It also helps in monitoring progress – mentors or supervisors can evaluate interns against these outcomes. Duja Consulting has expertise in designing unique and memorable “graduate journeys” where each individual’s strengths and development areas are considered, and the programme is tailored to develop those, in addition to general business exposure. A similar approach can be applied to learnerships: ensure the theoretical training components are tightly integrated with work assignments so that learners can practice in real time what they study in class.
3. Recruit the right candidates and ensure diversity.
The recruitment phase is critical. Cast the net wide to give opportunities to those who may not have top grades or experience but show potential. Use aptitude tests or assessment centres to identify competencies like problem-solving, teamwork, and learning agility. It is essential to ensure diversity in the cohort – in South Africa, that means actively recruiting black African, Coloured, and Indian youth, and a fair balance of women, to truly fulfil the transformation mandate. Also consider diversity of academic background and region; sometimes excellent candidates are sitting in rural areas or township schools without access to information. Partnering with organisations like universities, TVET colleges, or youth job placement NGOs can help tap into a broad talent pool. When Duja Consulting manages recruitment for clients, they often use robust assessment and matching tools to ensure candidates not only meet the basic criteria but also fit the company culture and have the right attitude to thrive. A good practice is involving business unit representatives in final selection – this gives them ownership and confidence in the interns they will host.
4. Provide thorough onboarding and work-readiness training.
Once candidates are selected, invest time in a proper induction. Many youth entering a corporate environment for the first time may be unfamiliar with professional expectations. An onboarding program can cover company values, basic workplace etiquette, communication norms, and use of tools/systems. In addition, consider a work-readiness “boot camp” that addresses soft skills: effective communication, time management, conflict resolution, and professional conduct. Basic technical training might be needed too (e.g., an intro to coding, or accounting software, depending on the field) to ensure interns can hit the ground running. Setting expectations upfront is key – clarify working hours, stipend details, performance evaluation methods, and who they can turn to for support. Providing a handbook or welcome pack helps standardise this. Many successful programmes pair each intern/learner with a buddy or mentor – a more experienced employee who can guide them day-to-day. This mentorship not only accelerates learning but also makes the young person feel welcomed and supported. Companies like TFG, for example, ensure interns are mentored and coached throughout to guarantee a quality experience. Duja Consulting similarly emphasises coaching and mentoring as part of its end-to-end programme management, often training the mentors as well on how to manage and develop youth.
5. Ensure meaningful work and integration into teams.
One pitfall to avoid is treating interns as cheap labour for menial tasks like photo-copying or fetching coffee. While everyone has to do some admin, interns and trainees should be given real responsibilities or project work that stretches them. This might require educating line managers on how to delegate appropriately to a novice – assign tasks with increasing complexity as they learn, rather than no work or only trivial work. Rotations can help keep the experience broad and engaging. Also, integrate them into the team: invite them to team meetings, make them feel like they belong. This increases their commitment and learning. A well-integrated intern can contribute fresh perspectives – many companies find that youth bring digital savvy and new ideas that benefit the team. Another best practice is to include interns in company-wide training or events (where appropriate) to widen their exposure. Remember, the ultimate goal is to make them “work-ready ambassadors” of your organisation by the time they exit the programme – even if they leave, they should speak positively of the company and the skills gained.
6. Manage and monitor performance closely.
Youth in these programmes are not yet fully-formed professionals, so a robust performance management approach is necessary. Set short-term goals or KPIs for their assignments and give regular feedback. HR can coordinate monthly or quarterly check-ins specifically with the interns and their supervisors to discuss progress and address any issues early. If someone is underperforming, identify whether it’s a skills issue or a personal issue and provide coaching. Many interns might be juggling challenging home situations or confidence issues – a bit of support or counselling can dramatically improve their performance. It’s also important to recognise and reward excellence among interns to keep them motivated. Perhaps a “Intern of the Month” award or other incentives for high achievers. Duja Consulting’s programme management often includes time and attendance tracking, leave management, and even HR/IR services for the trainees – treating them almost like regular employees in terms of oversight. This level of professionalism ensures accountability and helps youth adopt a professional mindset.
7. Plan for exit and beyond – absorption and alumni engagement.
Well before the programme concludes, HR should coordinate with business units on potential absorption of the trainees. If the organisation has openings and the budget, prioritise hiring the successful interns or learners. This yields an immediate return on investment – you get an employee who already understands the job and culture. Many companies set targets (aligned with B-BBEE incentives) for absorbing a percentage of each cohort. If internal absorption isn’t possible (or only a few can be taken), work with partners to find opportunities for the rest. This could mean inviting other companies to a mini “job fair” to interview your graduating interns, or connecting with industry networks. Remember that even placing them externally contributes to the wider economy and earns good reputation for your programme (some B-BBEE schemes even allow absorption points if a learner is hired by another company in the same industry). Additionally, consider maintaining an alumni network of past interns/trainees. This network can be a talent pool for future hiring (perhaps once your company has vacancies or the alumni gain more experience elsewhere). It also serves as a way to measure long-term impact – you can track how many have secured jobs, where, and in what roles, which is powerful data to demonstrate the programme’s value. Some leading firms invite alumni back as speakers or buddies for new interns, creating a virtuous cycle of mentorship.
8. Leverage expert partners to manage complexity.
Designing and running these programmes can be complex, especially navigating SETA paperwork, B-BBEE tracking, or ensuring training quality. This is where partnering with specialists like Duja Consulting can greatly enhance outcomes. Duja Consulting helps eliminate the complexity by providing expert support in end-to-end implementation – from recruiting and matching candidates to designing the programme structure, delivering or sourcing training, managing the admin (payroll, stipends, compliance), and tracking the results. They also ensure all SETA and SARS reporting requirements are met so that the company can claim its points and tax rebates without hassle. As a thought leader in this space, Duja brings insights from working with multiple organisations, helping to benchmark what good looks like and avoid common pitfalls. For HR leaders, engaging such an implementation partner can turn what might be a daunting project into a smooth process, allowing the HR team to focus on strategic decisions while the operational heavy-lifting is handled by experts.
Measuring Impact and Ensuring Sustainability
To truly elevate internships and graduate programmes as strategic tools, HR leaders must also focus on impact measurement and continuous improvement. It’s often said that “what gets measured, gets managed.” Establishing metrics and evaluation processes for your youth programmes will help demonstrate their value to executives and inform adjustments to make them more effective over time.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) for these programmes should be defined at the outset. Common metrics include:
- Conversion rate: the percentage of interns/learners absorbed into permanent roles either within the company or in the industry. A high conversion rate (especially internally) indicates success in building a pipeline. Many top programmes target absorption rates upwards of 50–80%, as seen in the Western Cape BPO example with an 80% job offer mandate.
- Retention rate: for those absorbed, track how many remain with the company after 1 year, 2 years, etc. If retention of ex-interns is higher or on par with other hires, it shows the programme is selecting and preparing candidates well.
- Performance outcomes: compare the on-the-job performance of employees who came through the programme vs those who were externally hired. Often, those who were interns ramp up faster and perform better due to their familiarity with the company – a compelling argument for growing your own timber.
- Diversity and inclusion metrics: track the demographics of participants (e.g. % female, % from designated groups, etc.) and how many transition into roles that improve diversity in various levels of the organisation. If the programme is contributing to, say, more black engineers or more women in tech roles at your company, highlight that.
- Skills and qualification attainment: for learnerships or any accredited training, measure completion and pass rates. Successful attainment of certifications or qualifications is a tangible outcome. Low completion rates would signal issues in either candidate support or programme design.
- Participant feedback: use surveys or focus groups to gauge the participant experience. Did they feel adequately supported? What did they learn? Would they recommend the programme to peers? Engaging with the interns’ perspectives can uncover improvement areas (perhaps they needed more challenging work, or better mentorship, etc.).
- Career progression of alumni: if possible, follow up on where alumni go. The ideal scenario is that even those not hired internally still land on their feet in the job market soon after. Some companies proudly track that their programme alumni have gone on to work at partner firms or start their own businesses, contributing to the ecosystem.
Collecting data on these metrics allows HR to report the impact to executives and stakeholders. For example, an annual report might say: “This year, 100 interns completed our programme; 60 were hired into the company, of whom 90% are still with us and already 10 have been promoted. The remaining 40 all secured jobs elsewhere within 3 months. Additionally, our interns contributed 20,000 productive hours, and the programme yielded R2 million in tax rebates and helped us achieve 100% of our B-BBEE Skills Development points.” Such reporting turns the programme from a cost centre into an investment with demonstrable returns – in skills, in people, and in compliance benefits. It also builds the case for continuing or expanding the initiative.
To ensure sustainability, it’s important to secure ongoing buy-in from top management. Share success stories: for instance, highlight a star performer who came through the internship and is now leading a project. Personal stories resonate – the CEO hearing how a once-unemployed youth from a rural village is now a productive, qualified employee thanks to the programme can solidify support. Where possible, involve leadership in ceremonies (like graduation events for learners) to cement their commitment and show appreciation to the participants and mentors.
Continuous improvement should be built into the programme cycle. After each cohort, conduct a thorough review meeting with all stakeholders – HR, line managers, mentors, and some of the participants. What worked well? What challenges arose (e.g., insufficient resources, or misalignment of training content)? Use this feedback to refine the next intake. Perhaps the rotation schedule needs tweaking, or the recruitment criteria need adjusting to get candidates with a certain skill. Keep an eye on external trends too – as the economy evolves, the programme might need to pivot towards new skill areas (for example, incorporating more digital skills training, or focusing on green economy jobs in line with environmental shifts).
Additionally, consider the cost-benefit aspect. Track programme costs (stipends, training expenses, admin costs) versus the benefits (tax savings, value of work produced by interns, cost saving from reduced recruitment spend due to internal pipeline). Many companies find that the net cost per intern is quite reasonable, especially given the productivity they contribute after initial training. If costs are high, explore partnerships or government grants to co-fund certain elements. Sustainability can often be enhanced by creative resourcing – e.g., sharing interns across a consortium of small businesses, or applying for SETA funding to pay for the classroom training portions.
Finally, maintain compliance and quality by keeping proper records. Document each participant’s progress, keep agreements and assessments on file, and ensure all reporting to bodies like SETAs or the Department of Labour is completed. Non-compliance incidents (like not paying the minimum stipend or not providing proper training) can derail programmes through bad publicity or legal trouble. Instead, uphold high standards – treat the interns with the same diligence as regular employees in terms of safety, respect, and labour law adherence (for instance, interns are entitled to certain leave and must have written contracts outlining conditions). A fair stipend is also crucial – it should at least cover transport and meals so that no one is worse off by joining the programme. Organisations that set a fair stipend as mandatory find that it widens access and commitment, as interns are not worrying about basic survival.
By rigorously measuring outcomes and continuously refining the approach, HR leaders can ensure that their internship and graduate programmes are not static, but learning programmes in more ways than one – they learn and improve themselves year by year. Over time, a well-run programme becomes part of the company’s identity and talent brand, known for producing skilled professionals and offering young people a springboard to success. This reputation can attract even better candidates and partners, creating a virtuous cycle that amplifies impact beyond the company to society at large.
Conclusion
South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis is a multifaceted challenge, but as this paper has illustrated, internships, learnerships, and graduate programmes offer a beacon of hope and a practical pathway to progress. For corporate HR leaders, championing these programmes is not just an act of corporate social responsibility – it is a strategic investment in the future of the workforce and the country’s economic wellbeing. By integrating young people into the workplace, companies help break the vicious cycle of “no experience, no job” that traps so much of our youth. These programmes serve as bridges to opportunity, providing participants with skills, experience, and networks that dramatically improve their employability. In turn, businesses benefit from a pipeline of energised, trainable talent who can be nurtured to address skills shortages and drive innovation from within.
Crucially, such initiatives also advance transformation and inclusion. By targeting unemployed youth (predominantly from historically disadvantaged groups), internships and learnerships directly contribute to broadening economic participation. They help fulfil the promise of B-BBEE by developing black professionals and artisans, and ensuring that corporate South Africa’s workforce begins to reflect the demographics of the nation at all levels. We have seen how incentives like B-BBEE scorecard points and the YES programme nudge companies to scale up these efforts – and how many have responded with remarkable commitments, from large retail groups absorbing scores of learners each year, to sector-specific projects guaranteeing jobs for graduates. It is a reminder that when policy, business and social goals align, the impact can be profound.
Duja Consulting, as a thought leader and implementation partner in this space, stands ready to assist organisations in translating these ideas into action. The insights and examples shared here – from systemic challenges to success stories – reflect the kind of holistic approach that Duja Consulting brings to programme design and execution. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of SETA funding, crafting a curriculum for a bespoke graduate programme, or measuring the ROI of a learnership initiative, having an experienced partner can significantly amplify outcomes. More than ever, HR leaders are called to be strategic enablers of both talent development and social change. With Duja’s support in managing the heavy lifting, HR can focus on crafting the vision and cultivating the organisational culture that will sustain these youth programmes for the long term.
In conclusion, leveraging internships and graduate programmes is a win-win strategy: youth gain entry into the economy, companies build skills and gain B-BBEE advantages, and the nation reaps the rewards of a more inclusive and skilled workforce. The journey is not without challenges – programmes must be well-designed, adequately resourced, and continuously improved. But the rewards, as evidenced by the transformed lives of young professionals and the rejuvenated talent pools in organisations, are well worth the effort. HR leaders in South Africa have a pivotal role to play in this journey. By opening doors to young talent and fostering true learning workplaces, they can help turn the tide on youth unemployment and drive meaningful transformation. As the proverb goes, “Youth are the future” – and through strategic internships and development programmes, we can ensure that future is bright, equitable, and prosperous for all.
Sources:
- Statistics South Africa – “South Africa’s Youth in the Labour Market: A Decade in Review” (Q1:2025 data highlights)
- Stats SA – Youth unemployment rate by age group (2015 vs 2025)
- Stats SA – NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) statistics and discouraged work-seekers
- Stats SA – Unemployment rate by level of education for youth
- Duja Consulting – “Learnerships, Internships and Graduate Programmes” (role in BBBEE and talent pipeline)
- Duja Consulting – “Practical Upskilling Methods for Unemployed Youth in South Africa” (skills mismatch and WBL ecosystem)
- Duja Consulting – Workplace-based learning and soft skills development
- Duja Consulting – Western Cape BPO internship project (80% job placement model)
- Youth Employment Service (YES) – Press/Blog “Boost Your B-BBEE Scorecard by Two Levels with YES” (impact and level-up incentive)
