With National Youth Day due to be commemorated over the weekend, it is opportune to reflect on the position of young people in South African society generally and in the economy more specifically.

Sadly, the picture is a fairly depressing one. The education system has simply not lived up to the high hopes we all had for it in 1994. Many young people are falling pray to, or being absorbed into, South Africa’s serious social problems of crime, violence and substance abuse. And the employment prospects for many of this country’s youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are so limited that strain is being placed on families and social services – eventually it could even exact a toll on societal stability.

In its most recent Economic Survey of South Africa, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) argues that “education is a critical problem”, while youth unemployment is “catastrophically high”.

Shortages of learning materials, teachers, support staff and well-trained principals across the schooling system have been identified as key contributors to the current poor performance.

In addition, the education system is not producing the skills needed by the labour market. The resultant skills mismatches, the OECD adds, represent a key aspect of the persistently high unemployment rate, especially for the youth.

The National Development Plan is also alive to the vital interplay between education and employment. As part of its vision for creating 11-million new jobs by 2030, the plan stresses the need to expand the country’s skills base through better education and vocational training.

It also emphasises the virtuous relationship between higher levels of employment and improved education. “Raising employment levels will have benefits beyond the empowering experience of having a job. It will help people invest in their children’s education, upgrade their homes and manage life’s risks. Work and education will enable citizens to improve their own lives.”

In other words, the problem is well understood. What is needed now is a concerted effort by all (policymakers, officials, teachers, unions, parents and students) to drastically improve the education outcomes.

That long-term vision should also be supported by short-term programmes and incentives that stimulate youth employment – programmes and incentives that the social partners should finalise as a matter of urgency.

Visible progress in both areas will send an important signal to young South Africans that the custodians of their current welfare and future prosperity are cognisant of their plight and sensitive to the need for intergenerational equity. Continued inaction and inertia is no longer an option.