LUVUYO Dikeni (37) from Delft in Cape Town thought going back to university to further his studies would make life easier for him, but little has changed.
The father of one graduated with a law degree from the University of the Western Cape last year, but he still hasn’t been able to find work.
Luvuyo currently works as a casual packer at Shoprite.
He told Daily Sun: “This is not what I went to university for. But what can I do?
“I dropped out of university in 2005 and I thought going back would make life a lot easier. But I was wrong.
“What I am doing is not even a permanent job. We only get called when it is busy. I am still grateful that there is something at the end of the day.
“I have tried several times to apply for a permanent job, but with no luck. I will keep trying until I get something. Every day I go to the library to check my emails, hoping that I will get good news.
“This is stressful. I’ve been to courts, government departments and other organisations to ask for something, even if it’s an internship or volunteering, but with no luck. I haven sent my CV to many organisations, but nothing has happened yet.
“All I want to do is to get exposure in the legal field.”
Jan van Rensburg, co-chairman of the Law Society of South Africa, said it was common for law graduates to struggle to find work.
“Last year there were about 4 500 law graduates. However, over a one year period, about 2 500 contracts of articles are registered for candidate attorneys.
“It means just over half the law graduates are absorbed as candidate attorneys in the law profession.
“Law graduates can also become other types of lawyers, such as advocates, prosecutors, lawyers working in legal departments in government and in state-owned enterprises. They can also work in the legal departments of financial institutions.”
