OVSA recognises that two of the most critical barriers to young people having meaningful futures, are unequal access to education (specifically in the quality-of-life skills education) and the continuing critical, national level of youth unemployment. Aside from the fact that many young people don’t finish school, another problem is that there is often a mismatch between ability and skills and envisaged careers. OVSA workshops focus on: implementing a personal SWOT Analysis, managing their career development, short-medium-long term planning, compiling a career development plan, understanding entrepreneurship and what it takes to be an entrepreneur, trade skills and informal sector SMMEs, conceptualising, starting and running a business, contents of a Business Plan, CV layout, Interview techniques, financial literacy, credit and debt, saving and taxes, career resource and information on self-employment, career resource and information on employment, how to research the internet, bursaries and study loans.

In 2009, OVSA realised that to support young people most holistically, we can’t only talk about a healthy body, without having a healthy mind. Young people must have confidence and hope for their futures. To capacitate young people with the skills to translate their dreams of their future, to reality, learners are engaged ‘early’ in thinking about their future career paths, developing an entrepreneurial mindset, and preparing for a focused and smooth transition from school to Institution of Further Learning, Employment or Self Employment. One of the most important elements of this project is its emphasis on ‘critical thinking’ whereby a learner applies honest self-reflection, focuses on their strengths and weaknesses and then develops these as a pathway to their future.