The reception area of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) offices at the UWC Innovation Hub office in Parow. Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

Youth Month came to a close, but the University of the Western Cape (UWC) is stepping up to continue doing its bit to curb youth unemployment.

UWC’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) at the UWC Innovation Hub in Parow hosted seven of 14 training sessions to date, reaching 50 unemployed youth over the past two months, while continuing its goal of fostering a holistic, supportive ecosystem.

Director at CEI, Abe Oliver, said the participant pool has broadened significantly, now including not only UWC alumni but also students from other higher education institutions, such as honours students from Stellenbosch University, graduates from the University of the Free State, and BTech graduates from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

“We have a wide range and interesting mix of youth forming part of our current incubation programme for unemployed youth, The Youth Unemployment Entrepreneurial Training Programme (YUETP), which is indicative of the need for job opportunities for our youth in this country,” said Oliver.

This diversity reflects the programme’s adaptability in addressing unemployment across different educational levels, from matriculants to graduates, and in particular, those with existing side hustles.

Recognising a gap in youth unemployment, the YUETP, developed in partnership with the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA), is reshaping the landscape by combining training, business ideation and seed capital support.

“The programme demonstrates that tackling unemployment — with South Africa’s youth jobless rate at 45.8% in the first quarter of 2026, and 60.9% among those aged 15–24 — requires training, but it also inspires hope.

The group of participants at the Centre for Entrepreneurship (CEI) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) during one of the training sessions to date, which has reached 50 unemployed local youth over the past two months.

“By integrating a targeted, transformative action-oriented entrepreneurial programme, it provided a pathway to reduce unemployment and ignite entrepreneurial behaviour. The YUETP has 3 tangible outcome pathways for participants to consider, namely further education, employability and entrepreneurship. It offers young people not just hope, but tangible opportunities to build sustainable futures,” said Oliver.

The programme also builds social capital through networking opportunities and ecosystem support, helping participants establish businesses that can thrive beyond the training period.
Oliver emphasised that only through ecosystem partnerships can we help youth dream again of a better tomorrow. The CEI values the partnership with W&RSETA to turn the tide on youth unemployment.

“The objective is to facilitate employment, education and entrepreneurship. We selected our participants based on whether they already had an interest in business, giving preference to those with an existing side hustle. With this programme, we refine and support these businesses,” said Oliver.

When the programme was first launched in 2025 in collaboration with the W&RSETA, 32 participants completed it. This success prompted an expansion to 50 participants this year.
Oliver and his team launched a 2026 follow?up poll of the Unemployed Youth Programme cohort.

“It paints a story of resilience and growth; many of the 32 participants have taken bold steps to shape their future, demonstrating that with the right support, unemployed youth can transform challenges into opportunities.

“The findings showed three participants actively running registered businesses, while another five were employed full-time, managing their businesses. This is proof that the programme has sparked entrepreneurial spirit and created multiple income streams. These young people are not only building livelihoods for themselves but are also contributing to their communities.

“Businesses that passed through this programme successfully, maintain contact with the Centre and contribute meaningfully to ideas to further improve the programme, demonstrating both confidence and viability.”

He is proud of the five participants who secured employment, which demonstrates that the programme’s focus on employability is bearing fruit, with two participants progressing to the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) for grant funding, which, according to Oliver, is a milestone that highlights the programme’s role in preparing youth to access external resources and scale their ventures.

“While some participants remain unemployed or face challenges sustaining businesses, the report compiled after the 2025 intake underscores the importance of continued mentorship, networking and enterprise support. These interventions can help bridge the gap and ensure that every young person has the tools to succeed,” said Oliver.

Future plans, as a spin-off from the YUETP, are an envisioned Graduate Mentoring Incubation Programme to help meet the needs of graduates.