YEA Data Points

Youth Employability Programmes Enhance Self-Determination – Autonomy

“Autonomy means more than behaving independently. It also means thinking, feeling, and making moral decisions that are truly your own, rather than following along with what others believe” (Steinberg, 1999).

How do youth employability programmes create and enhance autonomy among our youth?

• Most youth employability programmes in the YEA provider network are voluntary, which in itself increases one’s sense of autonomy. When a young person chooses to sign up for a programme of their own volition, they are autonomously motivated which will enhance their performance and engagement.
• Roughly 40% of the youth employability programmes in the YEA provider network have a driver’s licence attainment component. Having a drivers’ licence is not only vital for young people to get into employment, but it also increases their responsibility as they learn to look out for their own safety, as well as the safety of those around them.
  

  Mayors Taskforce for Jobs co-ordinator Noa Woolloff​said the current system was in drastic need of an overhaul. Not having a licence was a major hurdle for young people that could impact negatively on them for life. 

• Roughly 68% of youth employability programmes in the provider network also offer a work experience component and a number also include a voluntary component that participants can choose to include on their journey. These experiences provide youth with more opportunities to govern their own behaviour. towards enhancing and applying youth employability skills gained.