Public Works Summit on youth and women programmes

EPWP Summit resolves to prioritise youth and women focussed programmes

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Bi-Annual Summit which ended on14 November 2018, has resolved to prioritise and expand the provision of youth and women focused programmes such as mass sport participation and school homework assistance. The EPWP implementing public bodies that attended the two-day Summit at Saint Georges Hotel in Pretoria committed themselves to working harder, efficiently and effectively to come up with programmes that will attract young people and women into the EPWP.

The Summit was held under the theme: The Past, Present and the Future.

In his opening message to the summit, Minister of Public Works Thulas Nxesi urged the delegates to advance the Public Employment Programmes (PEPs) ideas and best practices as well as reflecting on how to best implement the Programmes. The Minister has also indicated that in preparation to ushering EPWP Phase 4 in 2019, consultations with the relevant stakeholders is already underway. He said that the emphasis and focus of the recruitment of the participants should be more on women and youth.

Among the dignitaries attending the summit were MEC for Public Works in the Eastern Cape, Ms Pemmy Majodina; MEC Jacob Mamabolo for Infrastructure Development Department in Gauteng and Dr Michael Samson of the International Labour organisation (ILO).

Closing the Summit Deputy Minister of Public Works, Mr Jeremy Cronin said the expansion of youth projects was a solution to the challenge of drawing more young people into the EPWP. “We have noted that coming up and expanding innovative programmes such as Mass Sport Participation programmes, School Assistant Programmes and other such programmes is vital in getting more young people to participate in the EPWP.”

Deputy Minister Cronin added that training was also vital to ensure that young people are drawn into the EPWP.

The following are some of the EPWP 6th Summit resolutions as adopted by the delegates:

  • Public bodies need to customise and adopt the approved recruitment guidelines to ensure that fair and transparent processes are followed in the recruitment of EPWP participants.
  •  The Summit resolves that in the pursuance of EPWP objectives, coordinating departments and public bodies shall establish partnerships with state and non-state actors including the private sector taking into consideration commitments made at the Jobs Summit 2018.
  • The Summit notes progress made in developing a national EPWP policy and resolves that it should be finalised by 30 November 2019.
  • The Summit notes the lack of full compliance by public bodies to the Ministerial Determination on their EPWP projects and resolves that all Public Bodies must adopt EPWP Standard Operating Procedures in this regard.
  • The National Department of Public Works and all lead sector departments will continue to liaise with relevant stakeholders to source additional funding for training and ensure that quality training is provided to EPWP participants, in-line with EPWP sector training strategies.

Enquiries:
Kgomotso Mathuloe
Cell: 082 957 3667
E-mail: kgomotso.mathuloe@dpw.gov.za

Lesego Moretlwe
Cell: 082 957 3677
E-mail: lesego.moretlwe@dpw.gov.za

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