Employability as Inclusive Entanglement in Relationalities: A Design in Sustainable Learning Environments

Abstract

Research currently, seems to have shifted from blaming the victim when it comes to understanding the reasons for youth and graduate unemployment. This study documents strategies to promote increased levels of employment among youth through recognising that the essentialist and unitary individual is a construction of a humanist theorisation. The design and implementation of the mentioned strategies seem to be effective as they are based on an understanding that the-taken-for-granted individual abilities, performances and so on are constructions in entangled relationalities. In promoting employability, focus should rather be on recognising the value of inclusivity in intervention strategies to attend to the sources of the problem through multidimensional and multi-layered approaches that go beyond human, social, psychological, identity and cultural capitals, among others. In short, all human faculties are not necessarily innate but a function of entangled relationalities.

1. Introduction

This chapter presents an analysis from a Posthumanist perspective on possible ways of tackling the vexed problem of the unemployment of youth. There is a need for this study because South Africa a country, and the world can learn how to address the problem of unemployment as presented through the strategy formulated in this chapter. The chapter presents the strategy couched in relatively new theoretical framing of Posthumanism which is only recently finding expression in education research discourses. There is a need for this study because it shows how participatory action research can be used to operationalise the theoretical and practical intents as well as purposes of Posthumanism. The study contributes to knowledge by detailing how the voices of all can be included in enhancing employability of youth towards a more egalitarian and socially just society. It also highlights the value of inclusivity in entangled relationalities.

This analysis, while grounded on theory, it at the same time uses empirical data from the Employability Study that we conducted with 129 unemployed youth in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa¹. This study, hence this chapter, shows how better levels of employment might be achieved among these youth by being inclusive in approaching the problem. Inclusivity as argued herein, involves focusing on all human modalities of being, as a starting point towards enhancement of their employability [1]. Van den Bergh and Dooyeweerd’s theory of metabletics assumes that there are 15 such modalities which can be categorised into four groups of the physical, the physiological, the psychological and the socio-cultural dimensions [2]. These imply that for enhanced levels of employability to be achieved, heightened performance therein is required. There is also recognition that all these modes of being exist in relationship among themselves and with those of other human beings outside the self [3]. This relationality is also with non-human entities, some of which are animate as in animals and others inanimate as in objects in the universe. For example, the inspiring role that the presence of animals and conducive infrastructure play in motivating heightened academic performance has been recorded in research [4]. Barren ghetto settings, without the presence of animals in one’s life, rarely inspire such. This recognition also extends to the roles that machines like computers play in employability, with their potential for enhanced abilities that are more-than-human as in the use of Artificial Intelligence—AI [4]. Inclusivity seen from this perspective is an all-encompassing process as it regards humans, for example the youth, as relational and entangled in and with the universe. No youth can exist without these networks and connections, which in turn create their identities, their performances, and their realities. The above analysis led us to an understanding of what constitutes sustainable learning environments (SuLE) that promote employability, which this chapter attempts to achieve, analyse and thus clarify [2].

The concept of Sustainable Learning Environments—SULE is useful for this study as it is compatible with Posthumanist thinking which is grounding the theorisations and practices herein. More importantly it enables the study to explore new avenues beyond the conventional and one-dimensional approaches in attempting to respond to the stated problem of unemployment [5]. The problem of unemployment is endemic among Black youth in South Africa. Recent estimates show that 63% of the Black youth between the ages of 18 and 35 years in South Africa are unemployed [6]. Although the official figures place the unemployment level for the entire population at 42%, the latter is still unacceptable because of the deleterious effects that unemployment has on the dignity of the people, especially the youth [5]. Being employed or having an enterprise is not only about generating an income, but it also contributes to one’s self-worth. It is empowering and inspires one to be alive and to aspire for the betterment of one’s condition and that of others. This study therefore, attempts to contribute towards addressing these concerns about huge numbers of Black youth that continue to be wasted every year [5]. Our assumption is that there is urgent need to design sustainable learning environments—SuLE as both a preventative and a remediation strategy to ameliorate and to totally address this anomaly.

In the context of the above, we are aware of the immensity of the problem and that to address it requires multipronged strategies led by large numbers of specialised teams focusing on different aspects of the problem while the goal remains one. For example, international support is needed through agencies such as UNESCO and its priorities such as the Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs [7]. In South Africa the above is cascaded to the Constitution of the country, supported by the National Development Plan, as well as the different Growth and Development Strategies in various provinces and municipalities that must cascade the actual practices of the SDGs and the Africa 2063 agenda to the local and regional levels, among others [8]. In this chapter we therefore present our analysis of the project we embarked upon with the aim to contribute to the amelioration and solution of this problem. The thrust of our argument is that there is urgent need for strategies that take the complexity of the problem into consideration. Such strategies are inclusive at all levels as they recognise that unemployment and employment are a function of entangled relationalities. The interventions towards the creation of sustainable learning environments that would address such problems effectively thus have to reflect this sophistication in their approach. Through our project we thus lay the above bare and present in this chapter the theory grounding its praxis, its methodology and design, as well as findings.

2. Inclusive entanglement in relationalities

All the above revolve around the idea of inclusivity because of our realisation that isolated and/or individualised approaches have not been able to address the problem of unemployment adequately [9]. Delving into the literature reveals that interventions focusing on improving one factor such as the individual youth’s academic/professional training, or one mode of being such as his/her cognition, or an educational institution’s curriculum have been tried out by way of promoting the level of youth employment in different countries and in varied contexts across the globe [10]. These have not been entirely successful of getting rid of the problem. These individualised approaches have been informed by theories such as those of Binet, Terman, Pavlov, Skinner to Piaget. What is characteristic of these theories is how much value they place on the isolated genius [9]. These assume that for a (young) person to get employed it depends on one doing something about one’s own performance at school because it is argued that education is the key to success. The more one is educated, the better are the chances for employment. Better performance at school is mainly measured by one’s academic performance as a function of one’s intellectual/cognitive abilities [10]. Thus, the approach towards enhanced levels of employment informed by these ideas has been to train young people intellectually to be able to remember facts, to deepen their critical thinking and their creative skills among others [11]. The influence of the home and school background were not taken into consideration as performance, hence increased chances to be employed, were based on one’s inherited and inherent cognitive abilities. This perspective is inadequate, especially in explaining problems of unemployed Black graduates in South Africa who exhibit high levels of academic performance but are still not able to secure employment. This implies that this mode of thinking can explain some situations but not many others that are still outside its explanatory scope [11].

3. Vygotsky’s socio-historicism and inclusive entanglement in relationalities

The above theorisation of the isolated genius was however later expanded further through Vygotsky’s socio-historicism that posited the value of the social context in explaining intrapsychic processes [12]. For example, his ideas on zone of proximal development between the actual and potential levels of performance ushered in the recognition of inclusion of social contextual factors in explaining intrapsychic processes. The presence or absence of powerful people in one’s context or neighbourhood and context according to this theory are essential in also enabling the person to perform cognitively as these others [12]. The idea of the isolated genius was consistently continuing to be questioned and/or enriched. Even Piaget through his notions of assimilation and accommodation was beginning to see the value of the context in developing one’s intrapsychic abilities such as cognition [9]. According to these notions, the objects in the environment constitute the material out of which one’s cognition is crafted. Through the senses of perception, we assimilate that which is outside and convert it into images, then proceed to categorise them into schemata, which are subsequently synthesised into ideas as the latter are abstracted [13]. The latter are the materials crafting and growing one’s cognitive abilities. The old ideas in one’s mind, also shift and get adjusted when new ideas are assimilated [13]. The old are transformed to accommodate the new ideas out of which more advanced modes of thinking are created [14]. In our view these processes demonstrate the power and value of inclusivity as the new gets included to enrich the old. At this stage the isolated genius seems to function best in inclusive environments where one can learn, assimilate, and accommodate new ideas from others to improve one’s own cognitive abilities that are critical in securing employment [14].

4. Bronfenbrenner’s eco-systemic theory and inclusive entanglements in relationalities

Bronfenbrenner took this matter to even greater heights through his eco-systemic theory that notes that one exists in ever expanding concentric socio-cultural contexts, from the micro-, through the exo- and the meso- to the macro-level [15]. The idea of the isolated genius needing to be included with others in the ever-expanding socio-historic-cultural context was thus entrenched even further. According to this theory the child immediately at birth exists in the dyad with the mother which gets expanded to include the other family members at the micro level. The emphasis here is about the value and power of being included as the basis of creating who this child is and is to become [16]. The influences from the others are important in the whole process of becoming. The concept of object-relations is important to explain that before birth the child was physically and, in all respects, included with the mother. Its self-system was part of that of the mother. At birth, the disruption due to their separation occurred where the child’s self-system was now to be on its own, separate from that of the mother. Separation anxiety then sets in where the child longs for the former state of almost perfect existence within its mother’s self-system [15]. Presently it cannot physically return thereto. However, it must now carry the mother and those pleasant experiences in its own thoughts as it proceeds to be a separate and an independent being. The interesting point that Bronfenbrenner makes is that, as the child separates from the mother, it gets included into the family, later into the neighbourhood (meso-level), the school, and the expanding social circles (exo-level). The child as it grows into an adult is never an isolated genius, it only changes from one to the next different circle of inclusion as they expand up to the macro-level which refers to the social class and geographical setting of say, rurality versus of urban, of race, of religion, and the rest of the markers [16]. These different circles of inclusion contribute immensely to crafting the identity of the human being (youth).

As we argue in this chapter, these circles contribute critical knowledges, know-how, skills, attributes, and attitudes. All these impact on one being able to secure employment or not [17]. It is a combination of all these inclusions that count, and it is not so much the case of an isolated genius that only naturally come to exhibit certain potentialities [17]. These circles of inclusion reflect intense forms of entanglement of the emerging identity in diverse but important relationalities [18]. The ultimate product of all these entangled relationalities is a multilayered identity which is like an onion with layer upon layer of experiences. For example, if it were possible for one to reverse the process by peeling (removing) all these experiences off in search of the essential nature in the centre of this onion (identity), one ultimately discovers that there is nothing beyond those experiences acquired from entanglement with relationalities. In short, human (youth) identity seems to be nothing more than an aggregation of all these entanglements of relationalities, included into one as a self-system over the years [18]. These constitute one’s identity with its own fears and aspirations based on these experiences. The individual youth’s academic performance as an example, reflects a manifestation of all these experiences which in turn influence the ability to secure employment or not [19]. Pierre Bourdieu calls these one’s habitus, which is not easy to change, but it is essential in determining all later behaviours, performances, and ability to secure employment, among others.

5. Tomlinson’s graduate model and inclusive entanglements in relationalities

Tomlinson deepens the above theorisation by noting that this developmental progression through the micro- to the macro- levels leads to one acquiring five different capitals, namely, the human, the social, the cultural, the identity and the psychological [20]. The human capital enables one to acquire subject specialism, technical knowledge, and career building skills. Social capital enables one to network, build relationships and bond with others [21]. Further than that the cultural capital is about acquisition of cultural knowledge and symbolic value, while identity capital refers to the acquisition of various identities that one can and must assume, especially when one is faced with the challenges of employment. Lastly is the psychological capital that includes resilience, self-efficacy, and adaptability capabilities [20]. The interesting point is that all these capitals describe inclusivity as the fundamental principle of being human [21]. This means that problems of unemployment might originate because of limitations in the permutations of how these capitals combine in one’s identity. Tomlinson argues that it is not one of these capitals individually creating the potential and possibilities (or not) of employment, but it is about all of them together having that determination [22]. These capitals that demonstrate the power and value of inclusivity, are also the areas at which we assumed, in this study, that effective interventions towards employability could be targeted as they relate directly to issue of performance as well [22].

6. Understanding ‘inclusivity’ in inclusive entanglement in relationalities

There is a school of thought that understands inclusivity as referring merely to the inclusion into ordinary education settings of learners who present with special educational needs such as disabilities, problems, or challenges of some sort [23]. The understanding from this view is that such learners are not many but that they constitute a group that can be identified and targeted for support and intervention [23]. However, the notion of inclusivity that we presented above is all encompassing as it is not just about inclusion of some learners, but it is also about the inclusion of different modes of being and of knowing, by all. Everybody has a problem of some sort, if is not physical, it might be psychological or even financial or in any other aspect of the socio-cultural dimension [24]. Thus, inclusivity in this study, firmly locates it in the democratic discourses with an emphasis on social justice, equity, freedom, peace, and hope for all. Inclusivity from this perspective is thus a recognition of the equality of all. We propose the opening of universal access to every opportunity and avenue to all. Inclusivity seen from this perspective thus affirms respect for all humans, all non-humans, all more-than-humans, all animate beings, and all inanimate things. The entire universe and all in it must be treated equally as it is for all of us together in equal measure [24].

This is the expanded notion of inclusivity that goes beyond the entities to include relationalities in their entangled state [25]. For example, we argue that inclusivity encapsulates all the 15 modalities of being theorised through Van den Bergh and Dooyeweerd’s Metabletics, starting with the spatial mode that refers to one’s bodily corporeality that has mass and occupies physical space(s) [2]. The human body also occurs in the realm of the numerical marked by counting. This is the mode where bodily height and weight can be measured as examples. Humans share these dimensions with the entire universe including inanimate objects [1]. These dimensions demonstrate our equality and inclusivity with the world of objects which we need for the existence and development of all our being, as an example. Our potentialities and capabilities are first expressed through our bodies as our presence, which is a common feature of the entire universe [1]. We demonstrated earlier how objects are also essential in the crafting of the human intellect and all one’s faculties [25]. As humans we are indebted to the world of objects to which we are included and owe our existence and growth to. Humans are entangled with objects as they constitute their initial relationalities in their lives. Objects must thus be respected and included as they constitute life itself [25].

This is followed by the biotic (potential for growth) and the kinematic (potential for movement) modes of being, as indicators of being alive. These modes of being human reflect one being included, entangled and in relationalities with all living beings, be they animals or plants that also share this mode [26]. The next modes are the physiological (breathing, blood circulation, digestive system, etc.) and the psychological (emotions and affect) which connect humans to the animal world that share the same [26]. Then comes the socio-historic-cultural dimension with all its modes ranging from the analytical (intellect and cognition), the formative (ability to create, know and use technology and have techniques), the juridical (fairness, logic and value of evidence), the ethical (ability to distinguish between good and bad), the social (need and ability to be with others to learn from them), the aesthetic (ability to create and appreciate beauty), the linguistic (ability to communicate all and to share one’s inner most feelings to others, the economic (ability to generate and to be prudent in expending resources), and the pistical (ability to practice, know and think about creation, religion and faith [27]. Humans share these modes mainly among themselves [26]. It is possible that objects, plants and animals might also be sharing in these modes, but we are not able to speculate, we do not know and thus cannot argue either way. What is certain is that every human, as such every youth has these potentialities and abilities which are dependent on interaction with others for them to exist and to develop. It is always about every young person being part of, and thus being entangled with the relationalities where every other human being is involved [27].

Therefore, all the youth as humans are by nature inclusively entangled in these relationalities that define and describe who they are and what they are capable of. The problem of unemployment can thus not be simplistically explained in terms of one variable [26]. It is a multidimensional and multi-layered complexity requiring equally sophisticated battery and arsenal of strategies to unravel and resolve [25].

7. Sustainable learning environments for employability

Given the above, this study thus explores the potential usefulness of the notion of Sustainable Learning Environments—SuLE as basis for promoting employability of youth [28]. SuLE seems to present an adequately sophisticated approach towards addressing this problem because of the premium it places on multiplicity and multilayered and multi-perspectival approach to understanding and intervening in the problems of unemployment [29]. SuLE is about the promotion of quality of education during the period of study of the youth as learner and as a student, as well as afterwards as an intervention to give those who could not secure employment a second chance at it [28].

SuLE is our own coinage. We theorised this in 2009. It has now become entrenched in the research literature as an effective and democratically oriented approach to teaching, learning, curriculum design and offering, research, engagement, innovation as well as governance at all education institutions [30]. We adapted the concept of the ‘Sustainable’ from UNESCO’s notion of Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs. Through this concept we demonstrate our alignment with the purpose and practice of the 17 SDGs identified by UNESCO [7]. These collectively have been summed up as advancing the economic development of all in an environmentally sustainable manner towards social inclusion of all. This concept enables our study to place enough attention on the proper cultivation and development of the human being’s 15 modalities suggested by Van den Bergh and Dooyeweerd [2]. As discussed earlier, this is the starting point towards affirming and recognising one’s inclusiveness in relational entanglements. We thus argue that to be employed does not only require intellectual acumen, but that it involves the entire human being with all one’s potentialities reflected in the 15 modalities. Any form of employment requires for example a healthy body, which is well looked after [2]. It is through our bodies that we perform our work. We must have enough breathing spaces, be nourished and the potential for growth be created or be in existence for all to be employed and employable. The physical and physiological dimensions are thus important as the basis. The youth need to be emotionally balanced happy, motivated, and inspired as well for them to be employed and employable [1]. They at the same time must know their careers, specialisms, and technical knowledge well. They must know where and who to get information and employment opportunities from, and their relationships should be good with such stakeholders even before they leave their respective educational institutions [30]. Their knowledge of the culture of their context and beyond, as well as their understanding of the value of their symbolic order, including of employment, should be impeccable. These should encompass their abilities to assume the characteristics required in the respective areas of desired employment. Above all these, to be employed requires ability to remain dignified, professional, adaptable, focused and calm under all circumstances [28].

The notion of the ‘sustainable’ in the concept of ‘sustainable learning environments’ implies the cultivation and strengthening of these abilities as the bare minimum requirements for employability [29]. In conventional theorisations these would be referred to as the individual’s personality disposition effective in social contexts. This idea of the ‘sustainable’ is complemented by the notion of ‘learning environments’ which we adapted from De Corte and Barry Frazer [30]. The two thought leaders, although coming from different countries in distant continents, namely Belgium and Australia, both affirm the value of the learning environments in the creation of what they called the ‘powerful learning environments’ [31]. Their view is in recognition of the confluence of innate inherited abilities, that is nature, on the one hand and that of nurture, which refers to the context with all its modalities [31]. In our view the notion of learning environments resolved the perennial debate regarding which between the two had the greatest impact in the construction of human identity, personality, performance, etc. Our understanding of this concept thereof is that, at birth one presents one’s nature which gets enhanced through nurture. The two in equal measure contribute towards the crafting of our identities. However, an important point to note is that nature from our view is not static no pregiven, but it is created in history through our forbearers. For example, Sigmund Freud in his theory of the Id notes the fact that it consists of the fossilised egos of our parents [32]. Learning environments therefore affirms the value and role of others in the construction of who one is and is capable of. Learning environments affirms the importance of education, as otherwise without it, the possibility of growth, development and transformation would be non-existent [33]. The notion of learning environments dovetails well with UNESCO’s SDGs. The latter posit the value of environmental sustainability as a precondition for economic development of all [7]. The main reason being that the environment is made up of others that are inanimate and animate, human, non-human and more-that-human who constitute essential ingredients for who all humans, hence all youth are and area capable of [25]. The notion of the ‘environment’ in this chapter thus encapsulates and captures the idea of entangled relationalities that create one’s identity based on the interactions among the 15 modalities, hence one’s performance that leads to employability (or not).

Sustainable learning environments therefore are contexts within and outside one’s self-system that enable or limit one’s chances and levels of employability [30]. These are inclusively entangled relationalities creating and nurturing one’s self-system. They constitute platforms and content for employment where the latter refers to the ability to secure a job or to create one. Thus, to enhance one’s chances of employability, efforts should not be spared to deepen and enrich these relationalities [31]. This study explores such with the assistance of Posthumanist thinking. This framework is chosen because it affirms the value and importance of understanding one’s potentialities and capabilities as multilayered, multidimensional, and crafted from multi-perspectival positions. It is inclusive and promotes the agenda for social justice, equity, freedom, peace and hope thus being relevant to issues of unemployment.

8. The theoretical framework: posthumanism

Posthumanism assumes a posture which is an anti-humanist and an anti-enlightenment from its origin, not because it negates the being and the notion of the ‘human’. To the contrary, it attempts to deepen and sharpen the understanding of the place of the human in the universe [33]. What it objects to is the way in which the era(s) of enlightenment and humanism have hierachised the universe in their search for order and discipline. The eras of humanism and enlightenment which started around the 1300s and 1685 respectively constituted a response against the lawlessness that came before them in the form of the era called the Dark Ages [34]. The latter experienced the so-called hordes of marauding barbarians destroying the culture and the established order in Europe. As an example, the monasteries as the last bastion of learning and generation of order as well as knowledge through religion and study were vandalised. The books were also burned by these barbarians. Mayhem was the order of the day. So, when order finally emerged in Europe in the form of religion and nation states, it was accompanied by a strong believe that nature was given to the human race for its exploitation as it was regarded as its (human race’s) dominion presented by God the creator [33]. The holy scriptures supported this view where unfettered exploitation of the environment and its resources was justified. It was also a given that even humans were not equal. Other humans, of a fairer skin, of a male gender who were also rulers, kings and their sons as well as their friends, including relatives, were regarded as a superior cast, closer to God. They had a mandate to rule and govern everything in their environment as they had the divine rights to do so. Oppression and discrimination of all women, Black people in general, and animals, were thus justified. Discrimination and oppression as in slavery and colonisation were the fulfilment of the superior class’s (white males) mandate as ordained by God. They ruled by decrees inspired by what was called the divine rights of kings [34].

Posthumanism came into existence around the 1950s as a reaction against the inequalities that continued to be justified by humanism and enlightenment which it argues, led to the climaxing of the era of the Anthropocene as amplified in the mass destruction of human life and the planet through the two world wars [35]. The Anthropocene is also marked by the rampant destruction of the environment. The examples of such being excessive mining where toxins are used to extract minerals from the belly of the earth, deforestation where natural plants are removed to give way to the practices of agriculture and human settlement, uncontrolled industrialisation that leads to factories and machines emitting and depositing carbon into the stratosphere, humans throwing waste around and into the oceans and rivers, infinite numbers of aeroplanes and cars destroying the ozone layer through fumes they spew out [35]. The above demonstrate the infinite greed of humans that has led us to the advent of COVID -19, droughts and incessant floods the world over, highest levels of crime and unemployment, poverty, and more wars. The recalcitrant racism and (neo-)colonialism that suffuse this period and refuse to recede have also intensified due to the influence of humanism and enlightenment [36].

Posthumanism argues that all these deleterious impacts are ascribable to the erroneous life-and-world view of humanism and enlightenment that centres the universe round the human. This has led to inequality among species including among humans [33]. The antidote to all these according to Posthumanism is when the life-and-world view changes to recognising that humans are equal among themselves, to other animate and inanimate non-human things as well as the more-than human machines and cyborgs in the universe [35]. The deleterious effects of the Anthropocene would thus be reversed and eradicated when respect is afforded to the environment and all that occur in it. Posthumanism emphasise the value of promoting social justice, equity, freedom, peace, and hope. All these are the cornerstones of inclusivity that recognises entanglement of relationalities that constitute reality. The interesting point is that such a view de-centres the assumed unitary identity of humans. This implies that humans are but part of nature, and of the environment. Humans and their identities are dependent on these for their construction [36]. Without the animals, the trees, the stones, and the rivers, to name but a few, we also do not exist. Humans derive their being in relational entanglements to all these in our environment, hence nature. Without the land and objects like infrastructure therein, humans cannot be who they can and supposed to be. In the same breath, so do youth belong to these entangled relationalities that define one as a multilayered complexity. For them to be employed they need to be included through sustainable learning environments that increase their chances of success as they become who they can become. To be employed requires the youth to acquire good education, which is also relevant to the world-of-work and gives one the competitive urge [33]. However, all these may be in vain if not coupled with good networks cultivated with, say factories and other places of where opportunities for employed exist. Thus, coming from home settings and backgrounds with such rich networks and social capital are more likely to secure employment than those coming from far off backgrounds that may also be unknown to the world-of-work and agencies that can support emerging businesses with start-up resources including finances. One’s family background that includes one’s socio-economic status, religion, type and location of school and its curriculum, as well as race, among others, in many instances become determining factors in securing a job [36]. These are some of the relationalities that all youth are entangled with, inextricably so, as they construct their self-systems.

9. Methodology and design: participatory action research

We conducted this study fully aware of the above and in choosing our methodology and design, we decided to use tried and tested scientific approach that would attempt to replicate such inclusively entangled relationalities. We adopted an approach which would not mirror the usual extractive humanistic and positivistic colonial patterns where data are collected. Rather, we opted for an approach that would promote the agenda for social justice, equity, freedom, peace, and hope. Such an approach would not be extractive, but it would be interventionistic as we jointly, and together with the youth, generated data for this study. Therefore, in this study we document and report on how we tried to intervene to give the unemployed youth the second chance at preparing and securing a job and/or establishing a business. Our mode of intervention was online with and based on the principles of Participatory Action Research—PAR [37].

10. PAR as the approach to generate data on inclusive entanglement of relationality

We chose PAR because, better than any other approach that we are aware of, it is compatible with the above criteria of quality. For example, PAR advances the same agenda for social justice, equity, freedom, peace, and hope among all who work with it [37]. Even the youth we worked with participated in determining the vision, the direction, the activities, and the monitoring of the research process and its outcomes. As researchers we did not call nor treat them as a sample, research objects nor subjects, respondents nor participants. On the contrary we regarded them as co-researchers who had an equal voice in the process of generating and documenting the entire study, because we saw them as equally human as us. Gloria Ladson Billings supports this approach because, according to her, people who are best suited to lead research are those who have a problem [38]. Patti Lather identifies three very important phases in such a respectful study, namely the interpretive, the analytic and the educative [37]. The interpretive phase involves us all as researchers and co-researchers in the process of identifying and formulating a vision of, and in response to the problem. This is based on such techniques as SWOT—analysis which is about identifying our individual and collective strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and plausible as well as possible threats as we pursue to formulate the intervention and response to the problem [39]. Then, during the analytic phase, based on the best arguments among us all informed by the above, we collectively put together a strategy using design thinking techniques. These enable us to identify the challenges constituting the problem, the solutions shaped by best practices from across the world, conducive contextual factors that make the strategy to succeed, as well as those contextual factors that present threats to be circumvented for the success of the intervention. The last design thinking principle guides us to seek, generate and document evidence for what we present as the plausible and possible framework and/or strategy towards the solution of the unemployment problem of some youth, based on our findings and recommendations [39]. It is through PAR grounded on these principles that our study attempts to address issues of power differentials in such a critical and emancipatory research through which we hope to empower and transform the status of the unemployed youth for the better [38].

It is our belief, based on Maibi’s observation, that PAR is the research approach of choice because it enables our study to “…address some social Issues…” such as youth unemployment that might be exacerbated by the intersectionality of exclusionary practices based on race, gender, socio-economic status, and rurality among others. We agree with them (Maibi) that,

PAR generates knowledge for transformation, and redressive action, It promotes teamwork and collaboration as it is emancipatory and opens discourse around issues of power differentials. The role of the researcher the relationship between the researcher and the co-researchers [37].

We furthermore chose PAR for our study because it helps us to achieve the interventionistic objectives of the study as we collectively attempt to create sustainable learning environments for employment, where we together attempt to recreate and re-enforce positive inclusive entanglements in supportive relationalities. PAR enabled us all to deliberately be respectful among ourselves as we collaborated as equals with compassion.

11. Research sites

Guided by the above, we were able to work with unemployed youth from both the Siyabuswa and Nkomazi municipalities which have a total population of approximately 249,705 and 410,907, respectively. The youth between the ages 15 and 35 years old constitute about 52% of the population in Siyabuswa and 56% in Nkomazi. This is a population which is 99.7% Black in both municipalities, while the rest is white and Indian. Close to 18% of the youth in Siyabuswa and 3% in Nkomazi have had no formal education. Majority have grade 12 as their highest qualification in both municipalities. A very high percentage of the youth is Siyabuswa 66%, and Nkomazi 62% is unemployed.

12. Gaining entry and ethical considerations

We ultimately worked in our project with 67 unemployed youth from this background, as well as 62 from the Nkomazi context. The two communities are not different from one another although they are close to 350 Kilometres apart. They came voluntarily to be part of the project after we send by word-of-mouth an invitation to youth who would be interested to be involved. Most of them had been part of our informal interactions in the local communities of Siyabuswa and Nkomazi, where we would talk about the problems of unemployment, and they would express interest because these were issues high up in their minds. These communities and the youth assisted us at the interpretative phase of the study as in these informal conversations with some of them we became aware of the need to do something about the issues of youth unemployment, at least among the youth in the immediate vicinity of the Siyabuswa and Mbombela Campuses of the University of Mpumalanga.

We had no criteria for inviting and welcoming these youth into our project as we needed every input from the people who experienced the problem directly. Tother we them we constitute the two teams for this research project as guided by the principles of PAR. We had hoped to include other people in the project who would enrich our discussions and efforts towards designing the intended sustainable learning environments that would supposedly promote higher levels of employment and employability through the replication of positively inclusive relational entanglements, as PAR principles would guide. We however focused on the youth only because of the risk of being entangled in political strives in these communities during the unfolding election year. If we went beyond the youth, we could be accused of favouring one political party over others in our recruitment, especially because they (political parties) wanted to use issues of unemployment in their campaigns. This concern thus limited the circles within which we could work in this project.

To formalise our work, we applied to UMP for Ethical Clearance as a condition for our project. This was granted with the number UMP/Mahlomaholo/CoE-Human Development/2022. We had promised to abide by all research ethics policies and principles that ensured that our study was respectful, transparent, and did no harm to anybody. On the contrary, our study is transformative, redressive of past inequalities, and guided by the principles for social justice, equity, freedom, peace, and hope. The youth who participated in the study were accorded the same status of full-fledged human beings as us researchers who could contribute in whatever manner to the formulation of the strategy to promote employability of the youth, as hoped for. They were thus not considered as the sample, but as the co-researchers who were involved at the problem identification and formulation phase (the interpretative), as well as at the analytical and educative phases, identified by Patti Lather [39]. As a condition for the granting of the ethical clearance for the study we had promised to do no harm and to include the youth who would volunteer to be involved only. We also had mechanisms in place to ensure that any of them could drop out of the project at any stage of the project without any negative consequence befalling her/him if they so wished. We asked them for permission to work with them and to recorded via video and audio devices all activities of the project where we all got involved. Although they expressed the view that they wanted their real name to be used, we however agreed to use pseudonyms instead. The latter, instead of using numbers and/or letters of the alphabet to refer to them, gave the project and the feeling of authenticity and closeness to real human being as dictated to by both our theoretical framework and the methodological approach. They agreed to sign the informed consent as they all were above 18 years of age, and needed no parental guidance on the matter of involvement in the project that held a lot of hope and promise for them and their future. We agreed that while the study in its approaches focuses on them as human beings, there will be no publication of personal data in the manner that would identify them. We also agreed to keep their personal data confidential, even when we published articles, books, and book chapters out of the project.

We invited them to the university’s campus in Siyabuswa where the informed consent forms were signed. In Nkomazi we used a hall in the premisses of a school where one of our Masters’ students was the principal who allowed us to do so. The venues were chosen to avoid being overwhelmed by electioneering activities in their neighbourhoods. We held our meetings on Thursdays every fort night in Siyabuswa and on Fridays in Nkomasi, to allow for our travelling from one site to the next. There were held from 11 h00 until 14 h00 or even later at times. In the case of the latter, we provided light meals for all.

13. Two research teams and credentials of co-researchers

At each site two teams were created. The first team we referred to as the Steering Committee and the other the General. The Steering Committee consisted of two of us from the university and two youth. The General Committee consisted of the steering Committee members plus every youth and academic who wanted to be involved. The Steering Committee worked with the project and its activities on daily basis while the General Committee met once fortnightly to participate in the entire activities of the project as well as monitor progress made. We had hoped that all youth irrespective of gender, socio-economic status, religion, and any form of disability would be involved. However, there were only Black youth mainly from the poor to working class communities volunteered.

At Siyabuswa there were 7 youth who were graduates as follows: a Diploma in Metallurgical Engineering, a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree, a Bachelor of Science degree, a Diploma in Agriculture in Plant Harvesting, a Diploma in Business Management, and another Diploma in Logistics, as well as a BA Public Management and Governance degree. The rest (60) had a Grade 12 certificate as their highest qualification. There were 54 females and 13 males in the group.

At Nkomazi there were seven Bachelor of Education graduates, three youth with a Diploma in Animal Husbandry, five with Office Management Diploma, Diploma in Farming, National Diploma in Local Government, Certificate in Computer Security, National Diploma in Engineering and Related Design, National Diploma in Civil Engineering, BA degree in Fine Arts, National Certificate in primary Agriculture, 15 who did not complete Grade 12, and 26 with a Grade 12 qualification. There were 59 females and three males. The teams consisted of 5 professors and a senior lecturer in Education, Industrial Psychology, Information and Communication Technology, Agriculture.

14. Common vision, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats—SWOT analysis

To design a strategy enhancing the sustainable learning environments that would promote employability among the youth as intended in this study, we invited them in their two teams at their respective sites to jointly formulate the common vision that would guide our action plans and the rolling out of its activities [29]. The youth present were divided into seven groups of ten members, accordingly. Each group brainstormed on what their dreams for the future were which they wanted to resuscitate after they were frustrated, resulting in their unemployment. These constituted the vision which we wanted to juxtapose on the research question which, as explained, was also based on our earlier interpretation of their aspirations [28]. The groups were to also continue reflecting on what each and collectively were their strengths towards achieving the identified visions (dreams), what weaknesses they had that would make them not to succeed, but which they had to resolve and attend to. They also had to brainstorm on the opportunities that still exist for them to realise their visions. Collectively they ere also to anticipate what could be plausible and possible threats on their journey towards realising their visions. Giving the constraints of time in real life situations, they were to consider all and identify what they could regard as the priorities that we should pursue through this project for a period of a year or two. In reporting on the vision and the SWOT analysis including identification of priorities in this chapter we brought together ideas from all groups at all sites because they were almost similar, and they resonated well with one another.

15. Common vision

In terms of the vision, three themes emerged from the discussions, namely that the identified youth had wanted to pursue specific job types, others wanted to become entrepreneurs of note, while others interestingly wanted to create career opportunities for others. Among the job types, five were prominent among all the groups, the first one being a teacher, irrespective of the level of the institution. These ranged from being a teacher at “a day-care centre“, through to the pre-school to being a head of the department of arts and culture“, and ultimately to being “a circuit manager responsible for supervising over 20 schools“. The second job type they aspired for was in the engineering discipline, namely being “a qualified boiler maker“. The third job type was being “an office manager“, the fourth was working as “an artisan“, and the last one was “being a pilot“.

Some youths were not satisfied with only doing a job for somebody else or an organisation of some sorts. They wanted to become entrepreneurs themselves and they identified the following as their ideal businesses, namely to work as “a director of my company”, or as a successful entrepreneur owning a successful supermarket” and “successful trader of forex“. Others within the same theme, wanted to “open their (sic) private practice as counselling psychologists“. The last two aspirations fell on “owning a farm plot with more branches around the country “and “on owning a mechanical workshop“.

The third and last theme was about creating opportunities for the development of others. This altruistic intent is usually expected among people who were affluent and/or self-sufficient. However, these youth who were themselves struggling, saw their employment fulfilment being dependent on them,

owning an orphanage, a day-care centre and starting a prep school at many places, or in creating and improving skills to help young upcoming future leaders in applying for universities colleges as well as in developing job opportunities around our area that contribute towards the success of small businesses in our provinces and beyond [31]”.

They further indicated that they would be happy if they would be able to “open a non-profit organization with free WIFI connectivity for the community and help the youth with mental issues and teach children practically about farming and how it works, for example planting seeds and knowing about the types of soil”, as well as acquire skills to “implement a program of helping needy community members in all aspect“.

In all the above three themes these youths exhibited how they were socialised. Many of them had already chosen a career path in those job types they wanted to pursue. Some of their intended career paths were in the economic and management sciences which linked very logically with entrepreneurial pursuits. However, as Africans they were also socialised into the life-and-world-view of uBuntu that made one to be more empathetic to the plight of others who were less fortunate than one. This world view had sensitised them that their fulfilment would be achieved when ‘others’, were also happy. The African dictum that one’s being, hence identity came to its fulness through the accomplishment of others’, seemed to be dominant among these youth. In our view this was a very vivid way in which inclusive relational entanglements functioned and manifested themselves. This also seemed to be an appropriate point of entry towards the creation of sustainable learning environments for their employability.

All the abovementioned themes implied the corporeal bodily presence of all the youth identified in this study. Otherwise, it would not have been impossible for all the above intents to be expressed and operationalised [7]. These were made possible through the inclusive relational entanglements of their human physical, physiological, psychological, and socio-cultural dimensions at the micro-, meso-, exo- and macro-levels in concert. These entanglements were not limited only within the individual, but they encompassed others that were human, animate, and inanimate non-humans as well as the more-than-humans in the environment and beyond. For example, to be able to think about pursuing any specific job type, or wanting to become an entrepreneur, or even intending to create career opportunities for others are not inborn, inherent and essentialist characteristics of any human being. One learns about these from others in the environment [15]. The environment contains objects which these youth access through their senses of perception. Then they become interiorized into their self-self-systems through the processes of assimilation and accommodation that converts them into schema, and ultimately concepts and ideas that facilitate one’s thinking and imagining. One’s identity thus is an accumulation of these fears, experiences and aspirations gathered from the contexts and the environments. The youth are thus a reflection of their contexts. Their unemployment is a function thereof. They are entangled in all these relationalities that include them. To aspire to be a teacher or an entrepreneur is a learned trait. It is also the same environment that frustrates or facilitates the materialisation of such. This environment is the point of entry if change and transformation towards employment are the goals.

16. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats: SWOT—analysis

The ideas discussed above dove-tailed logically with the aim of this project, hence this study, which is to attempt to tackle the vexed problem of the unemployment of youth in the Siyabuswa and Nkomasi municipalities. In this way, we could be contributing to the resolution of the national problem, which is also global. The co-researchers in their groups at the two respective sites continued with the SWOT-analysis based on the above discussed vision. Below we present ideas collated from all these inputs as captured by the respective scribes and confirmed by us all.

As strengths the co-researchers identified four themes. The first theme related to the qualifications that they held which they argued, placed them at the relatively appropriate levels to achieve their intended vision as discussed. The lowest qualification they held was a Matric or a Grade 12 school leaving certificate. Above this threshold, they had the national diplomas, certificates, and qualifications from short learning programmes. Secondly, they identified the theme of relevant work experience and relevant skills which they had in “starting a supermarket, trading, reading, writing and listening, good leadership and computer literacy”. They also indicated that they had “a great passion for work”, that enabled them to.

be responsible, good communicators, emotionally intelligent and motivated team players, patient in helping others including slow learners and children with disabilities, hard workers under pressure, energetic, punctual, self-confident change agents that support their communities [31].

Above everything else, they indicated that some of them owned some arable land in their rural environments.

Despite all these strengths they said that they were not able to achieve their stated visions. Firstly, they thought that this was due to some weaknesses in themselves where they lacked information about fulfilling projects and programmes and were thus unable to know what to do or where to acquire relevant skills, like, to register with the Health Profession Council of South Africa”. They furthermore “felt inadequate” in many respects because of.

“their low self-esteem hence shyness, impatience, substance abuse, anxiety when faced with big tasks, problems of time management, lack of planning skills and motivation, as well as being too critical about one’s competencies”.

Secondly, they also saw themselves as “inadequately educated without the requisite and competitive experience and qualifications. Thirdly, they had a lot to say about “the system and others” who thwarted “their dreams and the realisation of their goals”. For example, they argued that the “system did not provide them with funding to further their studies nor travel money to go to places where there were job opportunities”. This they attributed to “nepotism, favouritism, corruption and bribery” in the system that “only supported those with influential networks”. They pointed fingers at the poverty of their rural contexts, with scarcity of opportunities because of lack of support from the community coupled with poor infrastructure and service delivery. Other reasons resulting in their unemployment, they identified as poor weather conditions that affected commercial farming hence limited job opportunities in this sector. According to them the system also allowed elderly employees to continue working beyond their retirement age.

However, the co-researchers were able to identify opportunities for themselves to be employed as some of them considered themselves to be “sufficiently qualified to work as primary school teachers”. Others, given their assumed adequate qualifications, saw opportunities in other “employment sectors” such as being “administrative officers in the ministry of education, lecturers in colleges and universities as well as assistants in hospital administration and research organisations”. The only threat that they all could anticipate “absence of vacancies”.

17. Discussion of the sustainable learning environments strategy towards employability

Against the backdrop of the common vision and the SWOT analysis discussed above, we jointly identified priorities that would drive the study towards creating sustainable learning environments. The latter were to be geared towards enhancing levels of employment among the identified group of youth in the Siyabuswa and Nkomazi municipalities. Priorities focused on enabling the youth to continue in the pursuit of job opportunities which they had already started preparing for, as well as those that they were creating for others. This implied that the evolving strategy was to enable them to improve their qualifications and deepen their experiences, in their chosen careers. At the same time the strategy was to enhance their levels of motivation and commitment in pursuance of their goals. All the above were to be done such that these youth could strengthen themselves beyond their imagined weaknesses. This seemed to be linked to improved academic and professional preparedness. These required better information about what the various jobs required, where to acquire the requisite qualifications and financial support to pursue them, as well as how to prepare adequately emotionally, intellectually, and otherwise for them. It is our view that immediately one is strong enough academically, professionally, and otherwise, the imagined challenges of the system become relatively easy to overcome as one then has alternative means of resolving and circumventing them.

Professor Estelle Boshoff, the Head of the Department of Industrial Psychology at the University of Mpumalanga assisted the project in securing and collating the documents showing the South African government’s commitment and support for the promotion of the employability of the youth in the entire country. These documents included the planning documents of the National Research Foundation, Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and the National Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences which are South Africa’s statutory research agencies. These provided us with the guidelines for conducting research in this project. For example, the HSRC on Education and Skills Development, Human and Social Development as well as Economic Performance and Development manuals address the objectives of the Economic Growth, Sustainable Development and Quality of Life as presented in the National Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) Policy Document, as well as the NRF’s Tertiary Education, Sociology, and Philosophy that includes the History of Education, Economics and Management, Labour, Education and Welfare Economics, to Development Studies and Sociology. While the above legislative and policy imperatives look like they are focusing on students in higher education, they at the same time include youth who are outside those institutions. The above focus is sharpened in the Youth Employability, Livelihoods and Entrepreneurship; Education, Skills Development; Youth Health and Healthy Lifestyle. Skill Development Act focuses on Quality Basic Education; Economy and Employment as well as Creating a Skilled Workforce. We used the above documents to educate ourselves as the co-researchers in the project. The documents also served as the basis for the evolving strategy. They also provided broad parameters for our practical interactions and activities. These documents were discussed during the second and third meetings of the teams in Siyabuswa and Nkomazi respectively. One of us facilitated the successful interactive discussions.

The next item in the strategy was compiling lists of companies, government departments, universities, technical and vocational education and training colleges, research institutes, agencies that could provide capital to start businesses and general service providers that could provide employment and/or training to unemployed youth. Our list consisted of over 400 such organisations and this list we circulated among all co-researchers. The particulars of these organisations included their areas of focus, the kind of skills and qualifications which they were prioritising, their website addresses, funding opportunities and how they could be contacted. Examples of such include engineering firms like the Transnet Freight Rail that gave preference to youth who needed training and employment in civil, electrical, and mechanical and metallurgical engineering, diesel mechanics, and welding. In compiling these lists we used the youth’s credentials as basis so that there was compatibility between their areas of interest and that of the organisations. These were invited occasionally to present their services online via MS Teams and sometimes in-person.

The project received the greatest support from the University of Mpumalanga’s Information and Communication Technology Department of Professor Wayi-Mgwebi and Professor Kalima. They opened access to the facilities and training at their community outreach project, for our youth on appointed dates. There they could learn basic computing skills that could further enhance their employability. More support was provided by Prof Sabela who is putting together a tracer-study project to find out the levels of youth unemployment in the Mpumalanga province with the intention of informing interventions such as this one.

Another significant input which has become part of the strategy came from South Africa’s National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). The agency has conducted more than four interactive workshops and webinars, covering very important aspects to enhance the chances of employment. These included skills to assess oneself in terms of strengths and weaknesses as well as determining which areas still require improvement. The other areas taught by the NYDA involved preparing one’s Curriculum Vitae as well as rehearsing for the interview. They also shared with the youth the skills to enhance their professional images.

18. Findings and conclusion

Although we derived a few successes, we believe that more can still be achieved if more and able stakeholders would participate. For example, within the six months of the project being rolled out, three youths have secured employment, 10 more have obtained admission into higher education institutions for 2024. There is also a promise for 20 learnerships being granted by the end of the year. Learnerships, while they are not full employment, they enable the youth to acquire skills and knowledges that would give them a competitive urge later when competing in the labour market.

Furthermore, the study has shown that there is a huge need for support among the youth of Siyabuswa and Nkomazi to be employed. The strategy which we developed in this study relied heavily on the motivation and willingness of the youth to learn new skills and acquire knew knowledges for it to succeed. All these require enough time and effort for them to derive good outcomes. It involves the totality of the individual youth and his/he relationships which entangle one at all the time, for success to be achieved. The strategy was also inclusive in that those youth who were excluded from descent and full employment the first time around, were now given a second chance to improve themselves. The study would have benefitted more if there were personnel that were fully dedicated to supporting these young people, as most of us who are currently in the project, have other focuses as required by our conditions of employment. It continues to be an unpleasant experience to see so much talent goes to waste when the youth are not supported. They seem to have the everything required to get employed, but they need support in terms of knowing how to take advantage of the job opportunities whenever they are presented. Sometimes it is important to put the information about the type of job opportunities, processes to follow to apply as well as their criteria for employment directly in their faces, for them to take courage to exploit it. The strategy that we developed provided the holding environment where these young people could reflect on their plight in peace without fear of being judged, compared to anybody, or admonished for trying and failing. We allowed them to venture into the unknown spaces on their own with our support at the ready whenever needed.

The study has also shown that the issue of unemployment of youth is a complexity requiring multimodal intervention at multi-layered levels, encompassing multiple perspectives afforded by a battery of theoretical positions, specialisms, and stakeholders. Attending to this scourge needs interventions mounted on an understanding of what constitutes relational entanglements that construct one’s identity, performance, and identity among others. Being employed or unemployed cannot be simplistically ascribed to one factor or variable like curriculum that one has been exposed to or poor cognitive abilities. It is going beyond the scope of the five capitals that Tomlinson identifies to incorporate relationalities that decentre the understanding of the individual and undividable entity. One’s performance, hence ability to be employed is a function of a myriad of influences that include other human beings, animate and inanimate non-humans as well as the more-than-humans as in computers with their Artificial Intelligence (AI). Attempting to respond to the challenges of unemployment as the study is beginning to show, involves an equally sophisticated approach which creates sustainable learning environments for these youth.

Acknowledgments

“The support of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development towards this research/activity is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the DSI-NRF CoE in Human Development.