Do South African job seekers still face the age-old dilemma that you can’t get a job unless you have experience, but you can’t build experience until you land your first job?
New data from the latest Pnet Job Market Trends Report suggest that the answer is yes but also shows that some sectors are more accommodating to early-career workers.
Although the outlook remains tough for fresh talent, young workers who have tangible, proven skills or relevant certifications will have an edge in the competitive job market, says Anja Bates, head of data at Pnet. She says that a Pnet analysis shows that 10% of jobs are allocated to young jobseekers with limited work experience.
Says Bates: “Young people aged 15 to 34 make up roughly half of South Africa’s working-age population, but they bear the brunt of the country’s jobs crisis with an unemployment rate of 46%. Many young South Africans are qualified but not yet experienced – trapped in a cycle where they can’t get experience because they don’t already have it.”
With South Africa celebrating Youth Day (16 June) and Youth Month (June) under the theme ‘Skills for the changing world – empowering youth for meaningful economic participation’, Pnet explored what jobs are available for young jobseekers who are trying to enter the job market. Data from the past 12 months reveals which sectors are more likely to offer jobs for young jobseekers.
Sector-specific insights for young workers include:
- Design, Media & Arts offers the largest percentage (12%) of open job opportunities by proportion of jobs advertised in the sector. A degree isn’t a prerequisite for entering this field, but young jobseekers with complementary qualifications increase their chances of securing employment.
- The Architecture & Engineering job sector shows the highest proportion of graduate jobs, indicating that jobseekers in this sector usually require a high level of tertiary education. There are roles such as engineering draughting, however, where a National Certificate will get you a foot in the door.
- In terms of actual vacancies, the Finance sector boasts the highest amount of student jobs, entry level jobs and junior jobs compared to any other sector. There appears to be an emphasis on accounting professions when it comes to youth jobs in this sector.
- Proportionally, the Sales sector also provides a high amount of entry level jobs. This makes it a good entry point for young jobseekers trying to enter the job market. It’s also a field where initiative and interpersonal skills may help compensate for lack of qualifications and experience.
- Similarly to the Sales sector, the Admin, Office & Support sector offers a range of opportunities for young jobseekers. The sector offers a relatively high level of entry-level access yet is undervalued by some jobseekers that see these jobs as ‘dead ends’ instead of stepping stones.
- A high proportion of entry level jobs makes Marketing an ideal entry level sector for young jobseekers. Young candidates with an interest in Marketing are encouraged to gain complementary qualifications to strengthen their chances of getting a job.
- Job roles for young jobseekers within Building & Construction and Information Technology (IT) consists of a spread of entry level jobs, junior level and graduate jobs in various disciplines. Technical certifications are a valuable addition to your CV. While a smaller percentage of open jobs in the Building & Construction and IT sectors are earmarked for youth workers, the size of these sectors means that both offer a sizeable number of roles for young talent.
Building skills to overcome barriers
“South Africa’s youth have energy, ideas, and ambition, but the job market too often responds with silence,” says Bates. “We note how long it takes employers to fill roles in sectors like Finance, Engineering and IT despite 4,8-million young people being unemployed. This highlights a potential mismatch between the skills in the workforce and those required in the job market.
“One of the trends we see in our data is the scarcity of structured, paid internship and student job pathways, especially in fields like Engineering or Finance where experience is non-negotiable. Creating these opportunities should be regarded as an investment in the workforce of tomorrow. For young talent, it’s clear that degrees alone are not enough to get that dream job.
“In fast-moving fields like Design, Marketing, and IT, young people can overcome barriers by building practical portfolios, even outside formal work. Creative and technical sectors are hungry for new talent, but they demand demonstrable skill, not just academic results. It also demands that you keep ahead of new technologies, such as AI, which are transforming how we work.”