Department of Employment and Labour Subsidy Scheme set to create employment opportunities for persons with disabilities
The Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Boitumelo Moloi, officially unveiled the nine workshops selected to participate in the Public Employment Services (PES) Subsidy Scheme aimed for persons with disabilities for the period 2022 – 2025.
The launch took place at the Innovation for the Blind Centre in Worcester, Western Cape Province yesterday, (29 November 2022).
The nine successful workshops namely: Itekeng Disabled Centre; Employment Solutions for People with Disabilities; Pretoria Workshop for the Blind; KZN Society for the Blind; Pietermaritzberg Mental Health; Joyce Chevalier Centre – Protective Workshop; Cape Town Society for the Blind; Innovation for the Blind and Bosele Handcraft Centre will receive subsidies totaling R25 million for the current financial year 2022/2023 and the next two years.
The workshops are funded in accordance with the Employment Services Act 4 of 2014 “to provide for the establishment of schemes to promote employment of young work-seekers and other vulnerable persons.”
Moloi said the Department of Employment and Labour has acknowledged that many formal organisations have the skills, expertise, infrastructure and other resources that could contribute to assist people with disabilities to participate in productive employment.
“The subsidies provided by the Department has almost tripled since 2013, when R 7.1 million was provided. Thus far, an amount of R110 million was paid in support to the national councils and workshops for people with disabilities. This allows 1,041 people with disabilities to gain access to an employment opportunity, which otherwise would not be possible.
This demonstrates our commitment as a Department to not only support disabled workers with progressive labour legislation but always support them with direct financial support,” said Moloi.
Under the current scheme, workers participating in the approved workshops will receive R1800 per month, which is up from the R800 which was provided three years ago as a direct contribution to wages, in addition to the amounts they earn from the workshops and the social grants they receive.
She said while for some the above payments is the sole source of income, for others it is supplemented by the disability pension provided by the Department of Social Development and the Department of Employment and Labour’s Compensation Fund.
She said while efforts by the Department and workshops to create work opportunities for persons living with disabilities is applauded, the programs must be expanded to absorb more people through innovation and creativity whilst at the same time protecting the rights of persons living with disabilities.
“In South Africa there is still room to expand this further working with all our social partners. The Department intends to actively review and partner with other stakeholders to comprehensively expand the Subsidy Scheme to existing organisations with disabilities in other provinces, especially in those located in the rural areas in order to bring proportional evenness in the distribution of subsidy scheme benefit and to eventually improve the standard of living of all Persons living with Disabilities,” said Moloi.
Some of the beneficiaries giving testimonials on the impact of the scheme expressed gratitude and shared their joy and fulfilment of dignity they are getting from the scheme.
Representative for the KZN Society for the Blind Bheki Jele said it is their wish to see more departments coming on board to join the Department in supporting people living with disabilities.
“We appreciate the trouble that the department gives us with the visits they conduct every three months to ensure that we put, spend and provide the services to the rightful people instead of spending it on our own expenditures. We wish this subsidy can continue to ensure that we continue providing services to more disabled people,” said Jele.
“We want to encourage the Department of Employment and Labour and the National Treasury to put more budget that will cover more people with disabilities and bring on board organisations for people with disabilities to benefit from such schemes. We are grateful for this opportunity and I’m hoping this is a start of a great journey where will have more gatherings like this one,” added Jele.
Enquiries:
Teboho Thejane
Cell: 082 697 0694
E-mail: Teboho.Thejane@labour.gov.za
