Question NW1254 to the Minister of Labour
21 May 2018 - NW1254
Bergman, Mr D to ask the Minister of Labour
(1) Why was the annual target of the Public Employment Service reduced to placing only 8000 people in employment; (2) (a) what number of people have been put into permanent employment annually by the Public Employment Service, (b) when were these people placed into employment and (c) what number of these people are still in permanent employment in the past three financial years; (3) (a) by what date will the Public Employment Service finalise regulations on the establishment of work schemes aimed at stimulating the absorption of unemployed work seekers into the work force and (b) what will this entail?
Reply:
1. The targets were reduced to align with the reduction of the operational budget of Branch that was effected by the National Treasury.
2. (a) The Department has placed 40,078 work seekers into different employment on a daily basis from the various Labour Centers during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 financial years and records of placements were audited by the Internal Audit and the Auditor General. The placement during 2017/18 still to be audited stands at 21,076.
(b) Placement happens on a working daily basis and dates are linked to individual records.
(c) The Department has not conducted tracer studies to determine those that remain employed 3 years after placement.
3. The Employment Services Board is still busy discussing Regulations and I will publish them as soon as they are certified by the State Law Advisors.