The lack of job opportunities for school leavers has a major impact on their future
aspirations and adult development, affecting their emotional and social behaviour. The
global phenomena to exclude a great number of school leavers to be absorbed in the
countryâs economic growth foster feelings of detachment, lack of aspirations and
motivation with no aim or future prospects. The purpose of the research is to investigate
the effect of lack of opportunities through the use of selected information, as well as an
overview on the theories on work according to Erikson, Maslow and Kohlberg.
Eriksonâs psychosocial theory takes into consideration factors that impact on the social
and cultural components of an individualâs developmental experiences. Maslow, the
founder of humanistic psychology in America holds society responsible for the
fulfillment of human needs while Kohlbergâs Cognitive Developmental Approach to
psychology advocated by some that emphasise feelings and emotions and the better
understanding of the self in terms of evaluation of oneself and oneâs relations with other.
Adolescent Morality describes the nature of general rights such as individual rights,
human dignity, equality, contractual agreement and mutual obligations. Moral behaviour
is motivated by a concern for the welfare of the larger community and a desire for
community respect. During adolescence sub-stages of explorations are identified
regarding work and career expectations indicating a strong relationship between selfconcept
and career choice. Differences in social class might influence adolescents to
have different expectations. The reality of their choices depends on the degree of relation
between personal characteristics and the requirements and the demands of the preferred
career, the current and projected employment supply and demand status, and importantly,
the adequacy of the educational plan by which this would be implemented. A variety of
factors may influence the reality of career choice. Inadequate information to youths,
especially in rural areas might reflect a comparatively low level of aspiration. To most
people to work is to perform a task in exchange for remuneration in order to take care of
themselves, families and society. In a developing country like South Africa, formal
employment could be limited and people often have to involve themselves in diverse
informal activities to earn a living. A historic overview indicated four successive phases
stretching over centuries. The âInformation Processingâ stage has become information intensive, instead of labour intensive; the employeeâs usefulness now lies in valueadded
knowledge and skills. Various factors could influence adolescents choosing a job
or embarking on a career including personal attributes, self-esteem, identity formation
and scholastic and academic performance. Ethnic and/or racial background might be a
major factor in the choice of a job or a career. Cultural beliefs and political decisions
regarding equity, affirmative action and black empowerment equity influence the choice
and future aspirations of school leavers. The media plays an active part in perceptions
and the aspirations of school leavers. Both government and private sector benefit form
school leavers and should collaborate towards creating opportunities for school leavers.
The lack of job opportunities in the Eastern Free State is a reality that causes emotional
and social problems, which should be urgently addressed.
Over the last three years, an increasing number of learners have written national matric
examinations but fewer have passed and fewer learners are accepted into tertiary
institutions. Many more remain at home because they cannot afford the high tuition fees.
The perennial problem of thousands of failed matric learners, unable to do anything
meaningful with their lives is increasing. A baseline study indicated that in the Free
State only 17% of all youths who were eligible for employment were in fact employed.
Many were involved in criminal activities and a survey by the Human Research Council
revealed that two thirds of those wanting to work simply could not find a job. An
empirical research consisting of quantitative questionnaires to school leavers and
qualitative interviews with principals and teachers was conducted to determine the
influence of the lack of job opportunities the social and emotional development of
adolescents and the impact thereof on society. The investigation also addressed
possibilities to enable learners to cope with the given situation. The self-structured
questionnaire was compiled to target Grade 9 learners, who after passing the senior phase
could leave school and Grade 12 learners who wrote the national matric examinations in
October 2006. A total of 214 school leavers from ten schools in the Eastern Free State
participated. The age of these learners ranged between 15 and 19 years. Learners
provided valuable input concerning biographical information about themselves, their
parents and employment as well as career expectations and their perceptions on
employment prospects in South Africa. An alarming 49.4% of school leavers felt that job
opportunities in the Eastern Free State were not good and 56.4% felt either unsure or not
positive about job opportunities in South Africa. Interviews conducted with principals
and educators indicated that school leavers experienced more problems than in the past.
Principals and educators gave reasons for possible causes of emotional and social
problems amongst school leavers. Participants indicated that the lack of discipline,
inadequate schooling, the lack of skills and insufficient preparation and guidance and
support regarding possible careers, were the main causes contributing to uncertainty and
frustration. Financial problems and limited support and involvement from parents, also played a
major role in future aspirations. The information from the respondents and interviewees
was analyzed and the findings were used to assist in making recommendations towards y
improving the position of school leavers and assisting in their inclusion in the labour
market. It is important that both the government and private sector should realize that in
order to prevent the increase in social problems, urgent steps should be taken to address
the lack of opportunities for school leavers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-10232008-135301 |
| Date | 23 October 2008 |
| Creators | Liguori, Tersia |
| Contributors | Prof CJ Kotzé |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-10232008-135301/restricted/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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