UNDERSTANDING SOUTH AFRICA’S YOUTH EMPLOYMENT CRISIS DAY TO DAY OVERVIEW South Africa’s youth employment crisis remains one of the country’s most urgent policy challenges, yet effective action depends on a common, evidence-based understanding of what is driving the problem. This conference is designed as a focused journey from evidence to policy, helping participants move from diagnosis to practical responses that are better aligned with the realities of the labour market. DAY ONE: Diagnosis – Have we correctly understood South Africa’s youth employment crisis? The first day establishes a common evidence base by examining how unemployment is measured, what the latest labour market data reveals, and where critical knowledge gaps remain with inputs from key government departments producing South Africa’s labour market data. It then brings this evidence into conversation with lived realities, including unemployment and informality as experienced by young people, households and communities, to build a fuller understanding of the challenge. DAY TWO: Policy response – to what extent are current interventions shifting the dial? The second day shifts from diagnosis to policy by assessing the economy’s capacity to generate employment in the context of low growth, weak investment and structural constraints. It also considers whether South Africa’s “Active labour market programmes” align to the scale and nature of the challenge, before giving programme leaders an opportunity to present achievements, constraints and evidence of effectiveness. DAY THREE: The future of work – How should policy respond to technological change? The final day looks ahead to how artificial intelligence, platform work and digital innovation are already reshaping labour markets globally. It concludes by considering how policy can help young South Africans participate in a changing economy while ensuring labour market institutions remain responsive to future, rather than past. Please visit the GTAC Knowledge Hub to access all of our learning resources : www.gtac.gov.za/knowledge-hub/