Presidential Indaba on youth jobs and skills
500 young people from all nine provinces are expected to gather for the Presidential Youth Indaba on Friday, 28 February to 3 March 2014. The Indaba is organised in partnership with the Presidency, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), state owned entities and various government departments.
The Youth Employment Accord, signed on 18 April 2013, was a commitment by civil society, government, labour, business and the youth movement to raise the levels of youth in jobs, training and education as well as support youth owned enterprises and cooperatives.
The Indaba is a platform to give effect to the Youth Employment Accord as the country grapples with finding solutions to the high unmeployment rate especially among young people.
The Indaba provides a platform for young people to empower themselves with the tools available to obtain employment and develop appropriate skills. It will have an expo component to help connect youth to job opportunities, career information, scholarships, bursary programs and enterprise development support. Youth Entrepreneurship and cooperatives, Education and Training, The Green Economy and the Youth are some of the topics that will be discussed at the Indaba.
Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe is scheduled to deliver an opening address at the Indaba.
The Economic Development Department (EDD) will host the Indaba at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre. Minister Ebrahim Patel will lead the Indaba supported by the Minister of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Collins Chabane.
The Presidential Indaba is expected to produce a declaration with resolutions on how together with young people all stakeholders will address the issue of youth unemployment.
The Indaba will form a Presidential Youth Working Group (PYWG) composed of different stakeholders to meet with the President from time to time to appraise him on the progress on the implementation of the Indaba Declarations and youth development post the Indaba.
The young people attending the Indaba will be expected to work together with various stakeholders to come up with solutions to the socio-economic challenges facing young people in the country particularly as they relate to jobs and skills. The Indaba will also promote social dialogue between the youth, government, business, labour and youth development agencies.
The Indaba will take place as follows:
Date: Friday, 28 February 2014 - Monday, 3 March 2014
Time: 13h00 for 14h00
Address: Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre, View Point Road
Members of the media are requested to submit their names, media house, contact details, ID/passport numbers to Tshegofatso Modubu on tshegofatso@gcis.gov.za / 083 276 0786 or Linda Mbongwa on 082 315 3217, linda.mbongwa@nyda.gov.za
Media Enquiries:
Brent Simons
Cell: 076 315 7330
Email: Brent@po.gov.za
