93% of young graduates find jobs: Red & Yellow releases their Employability Report

The Red & Yellow Creative School of Business is proud to announce the release of its annual Employability Report. The 2022 Employability Report finds that 93% of their graduates were employed within two months of graduating according to their June 2021 alumni survey. This sits against a national context in which South Africa’s national employment rate sat at 35% during the same time period.

Employment growth in South Africa is expected to remain at 1.2% per annum, which is slower than the anticipated labour force growth rate of 1.5%. Where other tertiary education providers consider equipping students for the world of work towards the end of their qualification, Red & Yellow’s programmes are designed to expose students to real working environments from day one.

“The bottom line is that the economy isn’t growing fast enough to match the growing population and workforce. At Red & Yellow, we are committed to enhancing the employability of students and graduates and it’s time to expand on the idea that a graduate’s employability relies on their academic certification alone. Employability is a set of skills, understanding, and personal attributes that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their career paths. This not only means being a valuable employee from the very first day on the new job, but also that a student has the attributes that will enable them to be a successful freelancer, or start their own business,” shares Elizabeth Lee Ming, Head of Marketing at Red & Yellow Creative School of Business.

The Red & Yellow Employability Report 2022 also indicates that the demand for creative skills is currently high in South Africa. The top four most in-demand skills in South Africa are Software Development, Sales, Business Management, and Information Technology. Marketing comes in at number nine. Red & Yellow graduates typically go on to lead successful careers as marketing or brand managers, copywriters, UX and UI designers, graphic designers, creative directors, and art directors, among other notable positions. Through Creative Magic and Commercial Logic – Red & Yellow graduates are equipped with real-world and industry-ready skills that can be applied immediately.

The study indicated that the top reason students chose to study at Red & Yellow is job opportunities available after graduation, followed by the opportunity to improve themselves personally and the overall reputation of the institution. 

The study also reveals that the top ways Red & Yellow graduates found their current jobs were through online professional networks like LinkedIn, career departments at Red  & Yellow, internships facilitated through Red & Yellow, and referrals from contacts made during their studies. 

The findings of the report are based on a survey response from 65% of Red & Yellow’s 2021 alumni. 

To find out more information, please visit www.redandyellow.co.za. 

NOTES TO EDITOR: Red & Yellow School of Creative Business

Red & Yellow Creative School of Business is a CHE-accredited private higher education institution headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. It is an established cornerstone of the South African marketing, advertising, design, and business industries, teaching its students to think creatively and equipping them with the critical commercial and 4IR skills that they need to thrive in a digital world.

Established in 1994, the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business offers degrees, advanced diplomas, and certificates in marketing and commerce, digital marketing, user-centered design, graphic design, art direction, copywriting, digital content creation, as well as business and corporate offerings. The school also offers a range of popular online short courses and national certificates, and its highly regarded corporate training team works with some of Africa’s most well-known companies to deliver innovative, customised programmes focused on 21st-century skills. 

Red & Yellow has deep, longstanding ties with industry and works with leading brands and agencies throughout Africa to ensure its students and alumni are always world-class and work-ready. Its students are regular nominees and winners at local and international awards ceremonies, including the Loeries, Pendorings, and D&ADs. 

The school’s alumni include business leaders who have achieved remarkable career success, across the continent and internationally, such as Jason Harrison and Faheem Chaudry of M&C Saatchi Abel; Veli Ngubane at Avatar; Dorcas Onyango at Coca-Cola; and Steph van Niekerk at Grey JHB, ranked as South Africa’s No. 1 Creative Director and No. 1 Copywriter in 2019.

In addition, Red & Yellow is a member of Honoris United Universities, the pan-African private higher education network focused on educating the next generation of African leaders and entrepreneurs with industry-ready skills. 

For more information, please visit www.redandyellow.co.za