Premier calls on business leaders to back youth futures at YearBeyond CEO Dialogue event
On Friday, 23 May 2025, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), through its collaborative youth service initiative YearBeyond, successfully hosted the Youth Futures CEO Dialogue in Cape Town. The event brought together over 40 industry leaders and government representatives to discuss bold, practical solutions to youth unemployment and skills development.
Premier Alan Winde addressed the gathering, emphasising the need for stronger public-private collaboration to unlock opportunities for young people. “We still have a lot of work to do to drive down youth unemployment in our province,” he said, “We believe every young person deserves a chance, and we have prioritized budget and programmes to facilitate this.”
Launched in the Western Cape over 10 years ago, YeBo offers unemployed youth (18–25 years old) meaningful work experience, skills development, and access to further education or employment, while encouraging a culture of community service. The programme’s dual-beneficiary model has seen over 15,000 youth graduate since inception.
The Premier’s message was underscored by data-driven insights and lessons learned from the YearBeyond model. The programme’s structured approach focuses on developing future-fit skills, mentorship, and support to help young people overcome barriers and thrive.
Jacqui Boulle, Head of YearBeyond, stressed the urgency of working together to combat youth unemployment: “Given the country's and province’s challenges with crime and unemployment, we all need to play our part. We received 45k applications for 3000 opportunities in the YearBeyond programme, that is how relevant this initiative has become over the past 10 years. It is through programmes like this and our youth’s willingness to engage with these kinds of interventions that we can turn the tide on unemployment.”
Success stories like that of Ashwin Naidoo, a 2021 graduate now working on a cruise liner, highlighted the impact of the programme: “YearBeyond bridges the gap between learning and fun. It equipped me to have emotional intelligence.” he said.
Following a keynote presentation, attendees engaged in roundtable discussions focused on sparking innovation and strengthening partnerships. Guy Redman, Head of Department at DCAS, highlighted the role of collaboration in driving long-term change, “The Youth Futures CEO Dialogue and The Youth Futures Breakfast facilitated an environment conducive to forging partnerships and highlights the importance of collaboration between employers, educational institutions, and youth-focused organisations to create sustainable and inclusive pathways to employment for our young people."
Together, we are building futures. One opportunity at a time.