Abstract
The youth unemployment rate in South Africa is the highest it has ever been, and according to the International Labour Organisation, South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. From this perspective, there are however, stories of success in securing employment and understanding the reasons for these successes is crucial because they have the potential to impact youth unemployment positively. There appears to be a scarcity of South African research focussing on the psychological influences which affect the process of securing employment. This study aims to address this gap in the existing body of research by looking at the experiences of South African youth who were able to move from unemployment to securing employment.
This study explored the psychological factors that influenced moving from unemployment to employment of four first-time employed participants from a qualitative perspective. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather information from the four participants pertaining to their experiences regarding their transition from being unemployed after leaving school to securing employment.
The data collected during the interviews were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis method to extract salient themes and sub-themes. Four main themes emerged: “Dreams of continued education deferred”, highlighting the value the participants’ placed on tertiary education and their disappointment at being denied the opportunity to study further. “Lost on the journey to employment” speaks of the anguish, loss of identity and the negative impact of rejection whilst unemployed and searching for work. The most prominent theme, “Support in the search for employment”, described the powerful impact of kin support during the search for work, as well as the positive influence of the participants’ psychological strengths. The final theme, “Finding myself more than finding a job”, described the participants’ positive identity formation, self-discovery and commitment to continued education once they had commenced working.
This dissertation may contribute to the existing body of literature by emphasising the value of family and kin support and the use of psychological strengths to move from being unemployed to securing employment in South Africa. Potential strategies to improve, increase and enrich youth career guidance have also been suggested, which may positively impact the preparation of unemployed youth to find employment and develop their self-concept and vocational identity.