# Science, Technology and Innovation deputy minister Nomalungelo Gina has called on the private sector to expand internship opportunities for young graduates, warning that youth unemployment in South Africa is a national emergency. Gina was speaking at a gala celebrating 20-years of the Human Sciences Research Council Graduate Internship Programme, which has trained over seven-thousand-600 graduates. She urged employers, municipalities, and state entities to absorb more graduates, highlighting the programme’s role in developing skilled professionals and future innovators across science, technology, and social sciences.
Deputy minister urges private sector to boost graduate internships amid youth unemployment crisis