Who is MarketPlace Academy

MPA was founded by Word and Life Network in 2020 as an initiative to address skills development in local communities.

In 2022, the Network approached Chantyl Mulder to head MPA and give effect to its original purpose.

Marketplace Academy is a registered non-profit organisation (NPO) founded by the WNL Network NPC to provide solutions to resolve youth unemployment in the communities it serves in order to create a better life for young people from such communities.

Our organisation aims to bring individuals who have skills or to provide skills to the youth, to connect with employers by sourcing funding from funders, as well as identify suitable service providers.

Our organisation plans to collaborate with businesses and various strategic stakeholder partners to realise the organisational aim of creating youth employment opportunities.

The purpose of Marketplace Academy is to play a leadership role in transforming communities into economic hubs through the development of the requisite skills to get the youth employed and employable so that they can become innovate and active socially responsible citizens.

Far too many young people come from environments in which there is multi-generational unemployment and, as a result, they live on the fringes of the economy. This is unsustainable and contributes significantly to the deterioration of the social fabric in affected communities.

The South African youth employment statistics underscore several critical points:

1. South Africa exhibits significant inequality across income, wealth, education and opportunities, making it one of the world’s least equal societies.
2. The proportion of youth in the population is declining, adding pressure to support both younger and older generations.
3. Women experience higher levels of unemployment and economic inactivity compared to men.
4. 13% of South African youth have stopped job searching, while 35% actively seek employment, 17% are precariously employed and only 35% have formal employment.
5. Black South Africans fare worse in terms of employment compared to Coloured, Indian and White South Africans.
6. Extended education correlates with higher employment prospects, with most university graduates finding employment.
7. Youth entrepreneurship levels are low, standing at 9%.
8. The average unemployed South African is a Black female, aged 18 to 24, residing in a township near Johannesburg, with incomplete secondary education and no prior work experience.

MPA realised very early on that trying to work with unemployed youth in communities once they’ve left school is too late. Many of these youngsters only have Maths literacy and are innumerate and illiterate.

MPA has developed a holistic approach that prepares youth for employment or self-employment by designing interventions focusing on schools, learners, educators, unemployed youth and SMEs.

We focus on schools to build a pipeline where Mathematics and Personal Mastery is the foundation on which academic, occupational and technical programmes are built.

Partnership with the Department of Basic Education

MPA has agreed to assist the GDE with the implementation of the following:

• The Blueprint for the Introduction of a Three-stream Curriculum, and
• Multi-Certification Technical and Occupational programmes at selected schools, in cooperation with various Anchor and Implementation Partners, who provide financial and other support.

These initiatives mean learners will leave school with a grade 12 matric certificate, including a part qualification or competence certificate, accredited by a training or service provider. This could lead to a learnership or act as a pipeline into further studies.

This aligns with MPA’s steadfast focus on providing learners with an education based on academic integrity and industry standards.

Implementation of MPA’s Programmes

MPA has entered into agreements with Anchor Partners and Implementation Partners for all academic, technical and occupational programmes in participating schools

Role of Anchor Partners

1. Invest (money, time and other resources);
2. Project governance, oversight and reporting to MPA; and
3. Collect data and report.

Role of Implementation Partners

1. Implement per contract deliverables; and
2. Report to MPA re contract reporting requirements.

Based on extensive research, MPA decided to focus on the ACADEMIC, OCCUPATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL SUBJECTS that could provide youth in underprivileged communities with sustainable employment opportunities:

The technical and occupational qualifications currently being offered at the participating SoSs are:

• Accounting Technicians
• Agriculture
• Artisan Training
  • Gas Installers
  • Motor Mechanics
  • Plumbing

• Digital & ICT
  • Coding and Robotics
  • Cloud Computing

• Entrepreneurship
• Tourism & Hospitality
  • Food Handling
  • Culinary Arts

The technical and occupational qualifications we plan to offer at the participating SoSs are:

Artisan Training

• Bricklaying and Plastering
• CNC and CAD
• Electrical Technology
• Panel Beating and  Spray Painting
• Welding