South Africa's youth possess immense potential, yet many face barriers to employment due to limited workplace experience. The Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme was created to address this challenge by providing unemployed young South Africans (aged 18-34) with meaningful 12-month work opportunities while enabling businesses to contribute to job creation, economic growth and B-BBEE transformation.
Linkup Youth is a trusted YES Programme management partner that helps businesses implement the programme efficiently and compliantly. Linkup Youth provides a comprehensive end-to-end management solution, allowing clients to focus on their core operations while Linkup Youth manages the full youth employment life cycle. Working closely with clients, host companies and B-BBEE consultants, Linkup Youth ensures every placement is professionally managed and delivers value to both the business and the participating youth.
What Linkup Youth does
Linkup Youth manages every stage of the YES Programme, including:
- Registration of businesses on the YES portal.
- Recruitment of youth where required.
- Collection and verification of all compliance documentation.
- Youth eligibility verification through the YES portal.
- Comprehensive onboarding of youth and supervisors.
- Training and support for the YES One App.
- Monthly youth and client support, including structured check-ins.
- Monitoring programme participation and compliance.
- Managing replacements where necessary.
- Facilitating the required youth absorption process.
- Quarterly client reporting.
- Full support during B-BBEE verification and audits.
Linkup Youth's hands-on approach ensures clients remain compliant while providing young people with valuable workplace experience, professional development and ongoing support throughout the programme.
A strategic B-BBEE solution
The YES Programme offers businesses a practical and often more cost-effective way to improve their B-BBEE recognition compared with relying solely on traditional skills development initiatives. While skills development remains an important component of the B-BBEE scorecard, YES provides qualifying businesses with the opportunity to achieve additional B-BBEE recognition through sustainable youth employment.
Depending on programme targets achieved and youth absorption rates, businesses may qualify for:
| YES Achievement | Absorption Requirement | Potential B-BBEE Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Achieve full YES target | Minimum 2.5% absorption | One B-BBEE level enhancement |
| Achieve 1.5 × YES target | Minimum 5% absorption | One B-BBEE level enhancement plus three bonus points |
| Achieve double YES target | Minimum 5% absorption | Two B-BBEE level enhancements |
Linkup Youth works closely with clients and their B-BBEE consultants to determine the most effective strategy based on each organisation's transformation objectives.
Linkup Youth's commitment
Linkup Youth believes successful programmes are built on strong partnerships, proactive communication and exceptional service. Its provides continuous guidance and support to host companies and youth participants, ensuring a seamless experience from onboarding through to programme completion.
Linkup Youth's mission is to simplify participation in the YES Programme while creating meaningful employment opportunities that benefit businesses, empower young South Africans and contribute to a stronger, more inclusive economy.
By combining professional programme management with a genuine passion for youth development, Linkup Youth helps businesses create lasting impact, building brighter futures for South Africa's youth while supporting sustainable business transformation.
For more information or to discuss how Linkup Youth can support your organisation, please contact the company:
Linkup Youth
(010) 753 5608
info@linkupyouth.co.za
www.linkupyouth.co.za
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