In celebration of Youth Month and National Youth Day in June, the Forest Sector Charter Council (FSCC) and Forestry South Africa (FSA) joined forces to host the first-ever FSCC Youth Webinar, themed “Raise Your Hand to Be Part of the Discussion”.

The event brought together public and private sector voices to discuss the exciting and diverse innovative pathways to resolve youth unemployment within South Africa’s forestry sector – and to offer practical guidance to students and graduates looking to launch meaningful careers in this vital industry.

The webinar marked a significant step forward in the FSCC’s evolving role, from transformation auditor to active facilitator, with youth development as a key area of focus.

“We’ve seen how impactful collaborative initiatives like She Is Forestry SA have been in advancing gender equality. Now it’s time to apply that same collective energy to youth empowerment”, says FSCC Executive Director Khosi Mavimbela.

Designed to bridge the gap between graduation and employment, the online seminar featured insights from industry leaders, graduate recruitment experts, and young professionals. Sessions focused on building soft skills, identifying real-world skills gaps, and navigating the transition from student to industry contributor.

The speakers and topics were:

• What B-BBEE means for the youth: Thabo Dlangamandla, FSCC Researcher.
• Keynote address: FSA’s Unemployed Graduate Initiative: Norman Dlamini, FSA Business Development Director.
• A journey of transformation: From unemployed graduate to FSCC research assistant: Eutricia Nkuna, FSCC Research Assistant.
• An insider’s guide to graduate recruitment - Private Sector: Rushda Sulaiman, MTO Group Chief People Officer.
• An insider’s guide to graduate recruitment - Public Sector: Tilo Mototo, Department of Forestry, Fisheries & Environment (DFFE) Senior Education Officer.
• The journey to becoming: a young forester’s story: Sabelo Sithole, New Age Forest Solutions
• Closing: Khosi Mavimbela, FSCC Executive Director.

Unemployed graduates initiative

Norman Dlamini, FSA’s Director of Business Development, delivered the keynote address and presented the Forestry Graduate Employment Programme (F-GEP), an industry-wide initiative tackling youth unemployment.

Designed as a one-year enriched internship, F-GEP aims to enhance the employability of unemployed forestry graduates while fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.

The programme’s dual focus on skills development and enterprise creation makes it a unique intervention .“It seeks to address critical skills shortages in the forestry sector, F-GEP prioritises graduates who show interest in pursuing scarce and in-demand skillsets”, says Dlamini.

Through a structured rotation model, participants are placed with industry experts across various areas of forestry operations, including forest fire management, pest and disease control, chemical control, human resources in forests, and forest engineering.

“F-GEP goes beyond traditional internships,” explains Dlamini, adding that while internships expose students and graduates to a workplace, they do not necessarily make them more employable. “We assess individual graduates’ technical and interpersonal skills, close the gaps, and prepare them to be employable, entrepreneurial, and industry-ready”.

Stories that inspire

Sabelo Sithole, Managing Director of New Age Forest Solutions, and Eutricia Nkuna, FSCC Research Assistant, shared personal stories of perseverance, growth, and initiative, resonating deeply with students navigating similar journeys.

Eutricia outlined the key attributes that enabled her to progress from an unemployed forestry graduate to a research assistant, and Sabelo reiterated the importance of proactively seeking out available opportunities.

“The conversations were honest, relevant and inspiring,” says Dr Blessing Karumbidza, Coordinator of the Higher Certificate in Forestry at Tshwane University of Technology. “Eutricia’s story, in particular, will serve as a blueprint for others. I hope this webinar becomes a regular feature – quarterly, even – because the doors it opened must stay open”.

In a show of encouragement, FSA awarded R1,000 Cape Union Mart vouchers to the students who posed the most insightful questions during each of the six Q&A sessions.

“In a small sector like ours, putting your hand up and speaking up can open doors,” says Dr Katy Johnson, FSA Communication Manager and MC for the webinar. “We wanted to reward that confidence and help students realise that their voices matter”.

With strong engagement, compelling storytelling, and a renewed commitment to youth development, the FSCC Youth Webinar is set to become a cornerstone initiative in the sector’s transformation and enterprise development agenda.