Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant today announced in Centurion a Joint funded training programme to the tune of R300 million that will benefit 8 000 youth and the unemployed.
The programme will be funded on a 50/50 basis by the department's Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Setas. It will also involve the participation of the Department of Public Works and the Department of higher education and the department of human settlements.
Oliphant told the launch of the various training programmes that the immediate beneficiaries to the programme were the youth and unemployed who were registered on the department's match-making platform, the Employment Services for South Africa (Essa) during the recent Jobs Fairs.
The Minister said learners will be trained in the following skills: motor mechanic, instrument mechanician, fitter and turners, and diesel mechanics. This training will be conducted with the chemical industries education and training authority and 1 500 learners will be trained at a cost of R100 million.
She further said 777 learners will be trained in aviation related fields with the train sport, education and training authority at a cost of R47 million. A further 100 learners will receive training in scuba diving related field at a cost of R6 million. Five hundred more learners will be trained as as seafarers.
About 20 learners will also be trained on aviation related fields at a cost of R8 million.
The minister said it was imperative that workers’ skills be improved, saying that the more workers were trained the more they are likely to be employed or be self employed thus reducing their dependency on social grants and UIF payments.
She said 200 learners will be trained in plumbing and renewable energy skills. This training will be conducted with the construction education and training authority and the energy and water sector education at a cost of R3.6 million.
The minister said her department’s commitment to skills development has also been extended to the departments of human settlements to train 1 800 youth on a variety of construction skills. The unit has also partnered with the department of public works to train 900 learners on construction related at a cost of R16 million.
Lastly the minister announced that 2 000 youth will be trained on ICT and marketing skills to assist the UIF to market the U-filling system to both employers and employees.
"The more people we train, the more likely that they will gain the necessary skills and secure employment therefore rely less on UIF benefits and other social services," Oliphant said.
Lastly the minister also announced the availability of a online system called U-filling system which will assist UIF claimants to apply for UIF benefits online.
If beneficiaries who have access to the Internet will no longer be required to visit labour offices to apply for benefits.
For more information contact:
Muzi Mkhwanazi, UIF Communications & Marketing
Deputy Director
Tel: 012 337 1877
Cell: 079 896 7534
E-mail: Muzi.Mkhwanazi@labour.gov.za
