SOS Africa Skills Academy Opens its Doors to Tackle Youth Unemployment

SOS Africa officially opened its Skills and Training Academy this week as a direct approach to turning SA’s high youth unemployment rate into stories of success. Sir Lowry’s Pass... The post SOS Africa Skills Academy Opens its Doors to Tackle Youth Unemployment appeared first on Good Things Guy.

May 27, 2026 - 13:45 Updated: May 27, 2026 - 13:46

SOS Africa Skills Academy Opens its Doors to Tackle Youth Unemployment

SOS Africa officially opened its Skills and Training Academy this week as a direct approach to turning SA’s high youth unemployment rate into stories of success.

Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, South Africa (27 May 2026) – Following an unprecedented donation of a 7.7-acre facility last year, SOS Africa is absolutely delighted to announce that the SOS Africa Skills and Training Academy is officially open to young adults from across the Helderberg Basin!

The newly renovated campus celebrated a major milestone earlier this week, proudly launching its inaugural courses for its very first intake of 20 trainees.

Situated on the outskirts of Sir Lowry’s Pass Village and within easy reach of multiple disadvantaged communities, the Academy was established as a direct, hopeful response to the country’s challenging 60.2% youth unemployment rate.

By meeting this challenge head-on, the Academy aims to turn statistics into stories of success.

To bring this change, the Academy provides hands-on training in high-demand fields including digital literacy, care worker training, entrepreneurial skills, hospitality and horticulture.

“The launch of the Academy is a significant milestone in SOS Africa’s quest to address unemployment in the greater Helderberg region. It is our mission to equip people, particularly in vulnerable communities, for a meaningful life economically, socially and personally. Transformation starts with one disadvantaged person being given an opportunity to learn a skill that secures employment,” shared Lorraine Emery, SOS Africa Adult Training Programme Manager.

Photo Credit: Dr Matt Crowcombe (CEO of SOS Africa)

Every activity offered is tailored to be a learning opportunity, and every skill is a prospect for sustainable employment.

The first two courses were launched on Monday in collaboration with Edunova, offering IT Enablers and a QCTO-accredited qualification for care workers.

Each course is created after identifying vacant positions in the job market and is supplemented by holistic life skills programmes to ensure that graduates adapt to the diverse challenges of employment. This holistic approach also includes financial management workshops, teaching each trainee the importance of managing income and setting up long-term sustainable savings plans.

Edunova Skills Programme Lead Ziphelele said she was delighted to be part of the collaboration, which will empower young people through a 12-month Information Technology Enabler Programme.

“Through this initiative, we recruit unemployed youth, equip them with practical ICT support skills, and place them in schools where technical assistance is most needed. These interns become the backbone of school technology operations, supporting computer labs, networks, devices, software, learning platforms and classroom ICT needs.”

There is hope that increased sponsorship opportunities for youth will ensure the programme does not end after 12 months, but instead provides continued pathways through employment, further training and professional development opportunities that strengthen long-term employability and career success.

The SOS Africa Staff and Trustees recognise the importance of providing training and support beyond Matric graduation to ensure that this key demographic has the relevant qualifications and experience to launch their careers:

“After 23 years of providing a high standard of educational support to primary and high schools across the region, we are delighted to expand the scope of our support to address this desperate need. And this is just the beginning. Over the coming years, we plan to expand our training programmes, utilising this exciting new facility in its entirety. Our aim is to mobilise the unlimited potential of the youth and prepare them for sustainable employment,” said (Dr Matt Crowcombe, SOS Africa Founder/CEO).

The SOS Africa Trustees thank their key collaborators Edunova, YES, Greenpop, Moon Shot Pirates and Octotel for their invaluable roles in the launch of the Academy’s first courses.

The organisation also welcomes the involvement of training providers and businesses across the region as they look to expand the courses offered to empower generations of young adults through training in the future.