Leadership Academy for musically talented youth from disadvantaged communities

NEED

Youth unemployment has been identified as one of South Africa's leading development challenges. In a 2008 survey conducted by the OECD, out of the 36 countries surveyed, South Africa was found to have the highest unemployment rate among youth between the ages of 15 and 24. Other research shows that young black Africans bear the biggest burden of youth unemployment, reaching 53 percent unemployment at the end of 2009, compared to the 14.5 percent unemployment among white South Africans.

The biggest long-term threat to progress for young people from disadvantaged communities is the continued lack of access to post-secondary training due to a lack of resources. These young people thus lack access to training which would improve their chances of finding employment.

OVERVIEW

The Field Band is inspired by the global youth activity known as show bands. In the South African context, the Field Band Foundation's (FBF) main aim is to create opportunities for the development of life skills in the youth through the medium of music and dance. The FBF has a membership of 4127 young people from 286 schools in 109 townships across South Africa. Members from different areas across South Africa are given multiple opportunities to work together at performances, workshops and competitions. The FBF arranges exchange programmes and bursaries for their best performing members to go to Norway and the USA. These opportunities allow these young people the rare opportunity to learn new skills and broaden their perspectives.

The FBF Academy targets young people between the ages of 18 and 23 with leadership potential from the FBF's various bands. The academy aims to harness their musical and leadership skills while bridging the gaps in their literacy and numeracy. Students spend 18 weeks at the academy in Eshowe. During their school break, each student is required to assist one of the local field bands with music instruction, using the skills acquired at the academy.

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THIS PROJECT

• The FBF Academy provides young people that would otherwise be overlooked with the opportunity to acquire management and teaching skills
• The design of this intervention is informed by thorough research on the needs of FBF members making it a holistic response to these needs
• Training is flexible, accessible and designed to meet individual needs

IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS

This project will be of direct benefit to 60 learners that have been selected to participate in the 2011 programme. Since most of the beneficiaries come from extremely poor households, the monthly stipend given to each learner may be used to supplement their limited household income.

The most important impact of this programme is that these young people will become more employable in the long-run and will, in the short-run, work for the FBF as music instructors. The beneficiaries will also cover a range of important subjects to prepare them for the world of work, including financial literacy, language and communication skills, computer literacy, social entrepreneurship, general administration, leadership and ethics, and event management.

ORGANISATION ASSESSMENT

For the last 13 years the FBF has been targeting areas where unemployment is high and access to youth development activities is limited. It has thus established an extensive track record in these communities and with its long-standing sponsors. Over the years, the FBF has won numerous awards with Business Arts South Africa (BASA) and the Arts and Culture Trust for excellence and best practice in Youth Development.

Due to its long standing relationship with the Norwegian Band Federation, the FBF has access to the advanced musical and organisational skills of volunteers from this band. The FBF has employed new staff to occupy management positions in an effort to reduce the organisation's dependence on the CEO.

PROJECT PROFILE

Key Strengths

• Concept: This programme has been adapted to meet the special needs of young people with musical talent from previously disadvantaged backgrounds
• Design: The Academy has adopted a multi-disciplinary curriculum, structured to meet the individual needs of learners
• Sustainability: The programme is designed to prepare students for life after school by equipping them with the necessary skills to occupy leadership positions within the FBF and to secure formal employment once their tenure at the FBF comes to an end

Key Risks - Low

• External: Learners enrol at the academy with the understanding that attendance is at the cost of finding employment. Parents may require their children to stop attending the academy and to seek employment instead
• Design: The training material is aligned to SAQA qualifications while Field Band waits for full accreditation