According to Stats SA, around one in every three South Africans is unemployed, of which just over 40% have matriculated.

Just over 10% of those without jobs are people with a tertiary education. 

However, SPAR says that it believes youth unemployment can be reduced if they widen their gaze to include less-obvious opportunities within the sectors they engage with daily.

"All an 18-year-old school-leaver may see is the shop, not a potential career choice. But there is a much bigger picture than the retail store," says Mandi Pullen, SPAR Eastern Cape's human resources development manager for retail. 

According to SPAR, apart from in-store fresh food departments, butcheries, bakeries and hot foods, there are other fields to consider.

These fields include 'behind-the-scenes' jobs, such as: 

  • engineering
  • architecture
  • interior design
  • finance
  • food safety
  • risk management, and
  • technology. 

"We want our young people to understand this," says Pullen. 

Earlier in 2024, SPAR Eastern Cape used the Working World Expo at the Feathermarket Centre in Gqeberha to help local youth recognise the career potential that exists within retail. The retailer offers several programmes for school leavers and graduates in the province, says SPAR. 

SPAR says that through its partnership with Youth Employment Services (YES), an organisation that collaborates with businesses to create quality work experience, 55 applicants are accepted every year.

"The YES programme has run nationally for many years," says Pullen. "We partner with our stores to ensure collaboration of learning across retail and the Distribution Centre, where we offer a comprehensive 12-month training programme."

According to SPAR, interns earn minimum wage while receiving ongoing personal development training and coaching, as well as numerous other benefits. It is here where learners often shine and show their worth, giving successful candidates an opportunity to gain permanent employment within retail.

To encourage young jobseekers, SPAR says that it has also run a motivational programme in which the stories of staffers who have risen through the ranks are told. This initiative involved interviewing such employees online and giving participants an opportunity to interact with them.

"These stories helped showcase the exciting world of retail to Grade 11 and 12 learners," says Pullen. "It ran for three years and led to us partnering with a company that offered one of the candidates an 18-month mentorship. On completion, she was offered a permanent position."

"These programmes were aimed at making the retail sector attractive to young people and 'graduates' could then relay their SPAR journey to members of their community," concludes Pullen. 

For more information, visit www.spar.co.za. You can also follow the SPAR Group on Facebook.

*Image courtesy of contributor