School of Hard Knocks takes initiative to address youth unemployment challenge

SOHK runs two programs, one focused on school-going learners, and one for young people trying to secure their first formal job.

The School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) in the Western Cape has taken the initiative to contribute to addressing South Africa's youth unemployment challenge by providing courses that assist youth to enter the job market.

SOHK runs two programs, one focused on school-going learners, and one for young people trying to secure their first formal job.

The school offers eight-week short courses that build a life and employability skills such as goal setting, anger and fear management, CV-writing and interview preparation through rugby.

This structure comes together with the ultimate aim of enabling participants to find employment and realize their potential.

"We currently work with 160 school children in Cape Town CBD's low fee government schools, and in July we begin an eight-week program with 20 youth in Gugulethu in partnership with Ikamva Youth and sponsored by Cloudsmiths. Our goal for 2020 is to include new schools and reach hundreds of youth through five short courses delivered once again with the award-winning Ikamva Youth," SOHK Director Scott Sloan said in a statement.

SOHK Head Coach Lionel Farao said the school uses rugby because mastering something physically challenging is an amazing tool.

"Not only does it help with self-esteem, but it also alters brain chemistry to adapt to and adopt new behaviors. High impact, high-intensity experiences have the potential to make lasting change and in addition it allows our youth to show job acquiring behaviors such as displaying discipline and reliability," Farao said.

Launched earlier this year, SOHK is part of an international not for profit network that uses rugby to tackle issues around unemployment, antisocial behavior, poverty, and crime.

For school children, the school uses an in-depth intervention for those who are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education by offering weekly rugby coaching and mentoring.

This is aimed at developing learners' inner resources, so that they can grow in their ability to self-assess, manage their emotions, and make better choices when it comes to education, risky behavior, and their career paths. Support is offered for up to three years to improve behavior, attendance, and attainment.

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)