SALDRU News – Page 8 – SALDRU

SALDRU project to improve HIV treatment outcomes in South Africa

27th Nov 201931st Aug 2021Kim Ingle

In November 2019, a SALDRU-led research team began a project to develop and test a gender-tailored counselling tool to increase demand for rapid HIV treatment uptake and early retention in care among South African men living with HIV.

SALDRU study on funding in Higher Education in South Africa

29th Oct 201927th Nov 2019Kim Ingle

In April of 2019, SALDRU began a two-year project focussed on higher education funding in South Africa. The study, which was commissioned by Universities South Africa (USAf) and funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), involves research to determine the full financial cost of producing graduates at each of South Africa’s twenty-six public universities. The broader purpose of the study is to assist in determining an appropriate level of funding for the university sector in South Africa.

Surveying Young Workseekers in South Africa

27th Sep 201928th Sep 2022Kim Ingle

The J-PAL Africa research team has conducted several randomised evaluations in South Africa using in-house data collection, and has surveyed over 10,000 urban-based young people between the ages of 18-34. The team has written a short guide to share best practices drawing from a number of labour market studies conducted in Johannesburg.

Supporting NEET youth: Experiences from the European Union

23rd Sep 201930th Jan 2022Kim Ingle

Young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) attract increasing research and policy attention across the world, including in South Africa. Since 2013, all countries in the European Union (EU) have started to design and implement a “Youth Guarantee” (YG) programme that aims to support young people in making successful transitions through education and into the labour market.

Who are the young people that the BPS is designed for?

19th Sep 201930th Jun 2022Kim Ingle

A critical step in the Basic Package of Support (BPS) research process has been the analysis of data that provide a more nuanced understanding of South Africa’s young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). This helped to define the target group for a BPS and, in turn, assisted the identification of the most appropriate components for the proposed programme. The data analysis shows that South Africa’s NEET youth population is a heterogeneous group that is faced with multiple, intertwined, individual and household-level challenges.

J-PAL Africa launches Digital Identification and Finance Initiative for Africa (DigiFI Africa)

29th Aug 201931st Aug 2022Kim Ingle

J-PAL Africa , based in SALDRU at the University of Cape Town, recently launched the Digital Identification and Finance Research Initiative (DigiFI Africa). Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this research fund is designed to study the impact of innovative government/ private sector payment systems and digital identification (ID) reforms on citizens and governments across Africa. The team is now seeking government partners and African Scholars who are interested in partnering with the initiative.

What can South Africa learn from the European Youth Guarantee?

31st Jul 201929th Jun 2020Kim Ingle

Over the past six months, a research consortium led by SALDRU has been supported by the Capacity Building Programme for Employment Promotion (CBPEP), to explore and apply lessons from the European Youth Guarantee model to the South African context. In July, the CBPEP supported a visit by members of the research and policy teams to Brussels to engage with EU experts from Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Finland and Ireland to share ideas and see what could be learned.

Tracking high-value credentials as a unifying Post-Secondary Education and Training goal

30th Jul 201928th Oct 2021Kim Ingle

The Lumina Foundation set a goal for the US: The aim is for 60% of Americans between the ages of 25-64 to hold degrees, certificates or other high-quality postsecondary credentials by 2025. Lumina tracks the share of the population with such qualifications using the “Stronger Nation” interactive website. The Kresge Foundation is funding the Siyaphambili project within SALDRU to create a hub for post-school research in South Africa. One of the objectives is to develop the equivalent of a “Stronger South African Nation”, a user-friendly interface that can be used to track and monitor educational attainment.

Measuring high value post-school credentials in South Africa

30th Jul 201931st Aug 2022Kim Ingle

South Africa is renowned for its stark and persistent unemployment level, especially among the youth. Many young people enter the labour force with limited skills due to low levels of school completion, limited access to post-school education and training, and poor post-school qualification completion rates. What do we know about where youth go to obtain their skills and where South Africans complete certificates, diplomas and degrees?

Women, transport and employment in Africa

26th Jun 201927th Jul 2022Kim Ingle

Women in Africa face substantial discrimination in the transport sector, both as transport users and as transport sector employees. This affects their wider access to work in every sector. Relevant skills acquisition, at an early age, is essential if women are to break through such barriers. A new multi-country research project aims to understand these challenges better.