Question NW776 to the Minister of Employment and Labour

Reply:

Government has introduced the following programmes at National, Provincial and local level:

• The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative that has seen more than 1,8 million young people being employed in short time programs ranging between 3 months to two years.
• There are National platforms that youth can register for employment, be matched with registered opportunities and provided with counselling to facilitate their placement through the Employment Services System of South Africa of the Department of Employment and Labour servicing more than 7 million work seekers.
• Youth are provided with online systems such as ESSA, KHETHA. SA Youth Mobi that can be easily accessed sing their cell phones
• Government has introduced Youth Centres throughout the country and mobile units with full IT equipment that reach out to the vulnerable groups.
• Jobs and Career Fairs that bring together various government departments and institutions have taken place in various areas to provide work seekers with a basket of services and information
• Government continues to support a range of internship, learnerships and apprenticeship programmes in various layers of departments to provide experiential learning to young people and to facilitate their entry into the labour market
• There are short term employment programs such as the EPWP, Community Works Programs, Working for Fire, Green Scorpions, CDW , Labour Activation Programs etc.
• Government has also introduced the R350.00 Grant to those who cannot access some of these programs

There are a range of programmes that are being undertaken jointly with the Private sector to respond to their skills requirements, to improve work seekers prospects to start their own business or to enter the labour market. Some of those programmes include:

• The Youth Employment Service (YES) that was launched by the President and is fully funded by the private sector to promote youth placement in exchange of BBBE points
• The National Pathway Management Network managed by DEL and fund various programmes that develops Innovative Solutions.
• The Department of Higher Education and Training runs a skills development levy system that provides incentives to companies that train work seekers in various programmes.
• The National Treasury runs an Employer Tax Assistance program wherein participants get rebate for taking on young people including those with disabilities
• There are various employer subsidy schemes provided by the Social development, the Employment and labour, the SA lotteries to NGOs and companies that employ people with disabilities.
• The National Youth Development Agency, SIDA, IDC, PIC and a whole range of other Banks jointly work with us to provide start-up capital in the form of grants, loans, incubation and various business support and market access