Matriculants hoping to increase their job prospects should look to train further after school, trade union Solidarity said on Monday (6 January).<\/p>\n
A report by the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) showed the local labour market was still difficult for young people, even if they had a matric certificate, Solidarity said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Nearly one in three young South Africans were unemployed and not in training.<\/p>\n
SRI senior economic researcher Paul Joubert, who compiled the report, said matriculants should not expect to find a well-paying job straight out of school.<\/p>\n
“Of course, this is not meant to discourage young people from job-hunting for whatever jobs are available, as any work experience increases a person’s chances of finding a better job in future,” he said.<\/p>\n
“However, the best option remains to further one’s education.”<\/p>\n
The report showed that around 50% of job seekers with a matric certificate as their only qualification were employed.<\/p>\n
While this was better than those without any training or qualification, with only 30% employed, 80% of people with some form of tertiary qualification were employed.<\/p>\n
“Therefore, a matric certificate does improve a person’s chances of having a job, but a tertiary qualification improves a person’s chances of having a job significantly,” said Joubert.<\/p>\n
Tertiary education also increased a person’s earning potential, with less than 13% of South Africa’s adult population having a tertiary qualification.<\/p>\n
In 2011, according to the report, out of employed people with only matric certificate, 30% earned more than R6,400 a month and over 13% earned more than R12,800 a month.<\/p>\n
Among the employed who had a matric certificate and a further tertiary qualification, 50% earned more than R6,400 a month.<\/p>\n
More than 30% earned more than R12,800 a month, and 9.1% earned more than R25,600 a month.<\/p>\n
“The next group, people with university degrees, higher diplomas or equivalent qualifications, shows the biggest jump in income levels,” Solidarity said.<\/p>\n
“Almost 80% of this group earned more than R6,400 per month in 2011. More than half receive an income of more than R12,800 per month, and nearly a quarter earned more than R25,600 per month.”<\/p>\n
About 7% earned more than R51,200 per month.<\/p>\n