Department of Labour Director-General (DG), Nkosinathi Nhleko has commended the Free State province for its job creation initiatives despite the prevailing tough economic climate.
Nhleko was commenting after the province announced that despite major human resource challenges it has posted a whopping 100 percent rate in capturing job seekers into the Employment Services System of South Africa (ESSA) as part of the Department of Labour’s drive to job creation. Nhleko has, however, cautioned the officials against complacency.
“We need to increase our service delivery. There is no room to drop guards. We seem to be doing well in our effort to make a contribution to job creation efforts. We need to establish a structure which we will use to market our services in partnership with other stakeholders,’’ said Nhleko.
He was speaking during his visit to the Free State as part of his mission to engage staff and management countrywide to gauge their needs and challenges faced in each province. The Director-General kicked-off this week his fact finding mission with a visit on Monday to Northern Cape.
During his engagement with the management today (13 July), Labour’s Deputy Director for Public Employment Services (PES) in the Free State, Emily Maneli said the system, through ESSA, the department has in the last financial year alone, placed 1 850 job seekers in employment. The job seekers were absorbed in the wholesale and retail, manufacturing, transport and domestic industries as well as in the public sector.
ESSA is a Department of Labour’s system that links job seekers with potential employers and is available at all Labour Centers across the country.
Free State has a population of more than R2,8 million. In the last quarter of 2010 the province had an unemployment rate of more than 27 percent. Its economy has in recent years experienced a decline in its fortunes with the mining sector taking a dip and shedding jobs and the financial services sector’s restructuring initiatives.
The Director-General has emphasised the importance of healthy relations between management and staff as key to productivity. His next stop will be Limpopo, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces next week.
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Cell: 082 806 1351
Emily Maneli
Cell: 082 889 7687
Department of Labour DG hails job creation initiatives in Free State
