Bringing in limited conscription for the youth could help make that change our country needs by teaching a trade and bring pride in themselves and their work, says the writer.
By Philip Engelen
With Youth Day again focusing our minds on the youth and the truly appalling youth unemployment figure of over 4.9 million, everyone is wringing their hands saying that something must be done, but what is that something?
One option, perhaps an old fashioned one, would be to bring back limited conscription for youths between 18 and 27, whereby they go into the military for a three-year period, but during that period they learn a trade, whether it be plumbing, nursing, building or hospitality.
After that period they would have a far better chance of getting full-time employment. New trade schools could be set up within this new expanded framework with qualified instructors, with set goals for the recruits.
They would also be taught personal discipline with the ethic to first not let themselves down and their mates working with them, team work, and self reliance, and with that, self respect.
Yes it wouldn’t appeal to all. We are all individuals, but I think that it would appeal to the majority. This would be open to all young South Africans of all races.
Yes there would be exceptions, like those wanting to go to university, and I’m sure many others too. But everyone deserves the self-respect of a job and a paycheck at the end of the month.
I bet that the majority of those committing crime today wouldn’t be doing crime if they had a job.
Bringing in limited conscription for the youth could help make that change our country needs by teaching a trade and bring pride in themselves and their work.
Cape Times