The three-day Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Social Sector conference was concluded today with the adoption of the sector plan that is aimed to enhance the effectiveness of the EPWP Social Sector in adhering to its objective of providing work opportunities to unemployed and unskilled people through the delivery of social development and community protection services.
Held under the theme “United in action to accelerate employment creation through EPWP social sector”; the conference signified the end of the EPWP Phase II – which started in April 2009 with an objective to create 4.5 million work opportunities. Of these, 750 000 were expected to be created by the social sector between 2009 and 2014.
The EPWP Social sector achieved over 800 000 work opportunities by December 2013 against the set target of 750 000 through programme such as Early Childhood Development, Home Community Based Care, School Nutrition Programme, Community Crime Prevention, School Mass Participation and Kha Ri Gude (a mass literacy campaign).
The Sector has an obligation to create 1,038,929 work opportunities as a set target towards the overall EPWP Phase 3 target of 6 million work opportunities.
Sector government departments such as Health, Basic Education, Public Works, Community Safety and Liaison as well as the Independent Development Trust attended the conference.
The following are some of the implementation plans adopted during the conference:
- Review of Ministerial Determination on code of conduct and conditions of service.
- Targeting of participants to ensure inclusiveness / diversity.
- Alignment of emerging programmes (i.e. safety, sustainable live hoods, etc) to EPWP
- Provincial Departments and Municipalities to be aligned to national priorities (bottom-up approach)
- Identify and align technical and implementation support to sector activities.
