In 2001 the South African government established the Umsobomvu Youth Fund (UYF) as a national youth development initiative to promote employment opportunities for young people and enhance entrepreneurship amongst them for sustainable livelihoods. The UYF focused on three areas: contact, information and counselling; skills development and transfer, and youth entrepreneurship. This study aimed to explore the relationship between job creation and the UYF's skills development and transfer programme. It investigated the impact of the UYF training programmes in helping youth establish business enterprises and the creation of jobs. Using a nonexperimental approach, qualitative and quantitative data was collected from purposively selected UYF personnel and a sample of UYF beneficiaries. The data was thematically and statistically analysed to determine the programme's role on new firm formation, job creation, and the quality of life of beneficiaries and their families. The study found a positive impact of UYF's entrepreneurship education and training programme on new firm formation (self-employment), disposable income and the quality of life of the beneficiaries and their families. At the same time, there was a negative impact towards reducing unemployment and creating jobs. Also, the entrepreneurship education programme did not attract adequate participation by beneficiaries and its curriculum content did not cover critical entrepreneurship skills. The findings show that more interventions are required to enable to the Umsobomvu Youth Fund to deliver on its skills development and job creation mandate better. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, 2011.

Youth are a reflection of our future and the methods we use to educate, nurture and guide them, assist in determining the type of adults they grow to be. This dissertation analyses how the built environment can serve as a platform to help youth grow into responsible and well-balanced adults. A theoretical framework is set out to explore the requirements involved in understanding physical, mental and emotional changes a youth is faced with at this stage in their life by providing them with environments to assist them in discovering their means of existence, their role in society and vital skills to enter upon adulthood. A set of case studies and precedent studies aided the research and determined the vital impact a Youth Development Centre may have in evolving and socially uplifting youth and their community. The findings demonstrated that a greater awareness and education is needed in understanding the behavior of the youth to establish a society that is tolerant, respectful and healthy. Limited and restrictive means to how youth expressive themselves, learn and develop leads to a youth population that is confused, conflicted and unable to take on the challenges of adulthood. Thus, highlighting the need for the built environment to serve as a platform where healthy self-expression and learning opportunities, which stimulate the minds and bodies of youth, are encouraged. Such places were shown to inspire youth and their community to do better and be better. Youth are the future leaders of a country and their well-being and healthy development is of utmost important to us all. / Theses (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2014.

There is a growing body of knowledge in the field of sociology of sports and education which speaks to the positive relationship between youth engagement in organised sports and school performance. These sources of knowledge are largely confined to the developed countries in Europe and North America addressing the impact of organised sports on Positive Youth Development (PYD). In a developing context such as South Africa, which is undergoing rapid transformation from the previous legacy of apartheid, youth are defined as being at risk especially in light of the vast levels of social and economic inequalities which threatens its newly found democracy. It is in this context, the study located in a historically disadvantaged high school in the township of Chesterville in the Metropolitan Area of Durban, examines the role of school sports engagement as an element of PYD in enhancing school performance. The study seeks to assess the applicability of PYD principles in a developing and historically disadvantaged context within a school setting with the purpose of making contribution towards intervention programmes for the vast majority of South African youth who are considered to be at risk. Using a sample of 100 male and female learners in Grades 11 and 12 with an equal distribution of sports engaged and non-engaged, the study tests the principles of two PYD elements in respect of school Competence and Contribution to community. The study is of an exploratory nature on the applicability of PYD programmes in a context such as South Africa and does not purport to be conclusive, but instead the merit of a study of this nature is to set the foundation for future research studies in the fields of sociology of sports and education in order to intervene on the different social, political and economic volatility that South African youth are challenged within a democratic era. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.