Question NW185 to the Minister of Employment and Labour
06 September 2024 - NW185
Madlala, Mr EK to ask the Minister of Employment and Labour
(1) Whether, given that the Government announced the scrapping of work experience for entry-level positions at state institutions in 2018 and noting that to date entry-level positions in all government departments still require work experience, any steps were taken to facilitate the implementation of the specified declaration; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) to what extent does her department consider supporting industrialisation in the minerals sector in order to create factories for purifications and the subsequent value chain which would create thousands of job opportunities; (3) whether, considering that the availability of employment opportunities is a man-made challenge of the capitalist system of the so-called oppression of the working class and the poor, her department has explored any concept aimed at creating household employment to ensure that all households have a breadwinner; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW210E
Reply:
- The Department of Employment and Labour has implemented the no work experience requirement in entry level posts and will continue advocating for more learnerships and internships to ready entrants into the labour market.
- As much as the competency and responsibility of supporting industrialisation in the minerals sector in order to create factories for purification and the entire value chain does not rest with the Department of Employment and Labour, work in this space falls into the collaboration commitment with sister departments, that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) is very much keen on. We plan to lead DEL to upping the ante pertaining to coordination work of all job creation initiatives, interventions, creativity and innovations that are found in various government departments, spheres of government as well as public agencies.
- The Department of Employment and Labour through the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) supports numerous initiatives under its Labour Activation Programme (LAP) aimed at stimulating employment and ensuring employability. Moreover, through the UIF that works closely with Public Investment Company (PIC), the Department has supported different sectors of our economy to create employment.