Are you a graduate aged between 18 and 35 with no prior working experience and require experiential training? If so, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has internships and learnership opportunities for you.
To access these opportunities, graduates are encouraged to register to be enlisted on the Gauteng City Region Academy (GCRA) unemployment database for the 2012 intake. While the GPG welcomes the news that the country’s employment statistics were slightly higher in the third quarter of this year, the province remains concerned about the high numbers of young people without jobs.
The latest data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey conducted by Statistics South Africa show that employment grew by 1.5% in the period between July - September. However, a worrying number of young people in the province continue to bear the brunt of unemployment and marginalisation.
Most employable youth still face the frustration of inexperience when seeking employment as most employers prioritise experienced candidates over newcomers. It is against this background that GPG is fully behind the announcement made by the President Jacob Zuma earlier this month that:
“Most young people are frustrated by the demands of experience when they look for jobs. The government intends increasing the number of public sector internships to 60 000 positions.” Although internships are not permanent employment - with some running from three to 12 months - they give graduates much-needed exposure and experience.
Internships offer graduates seeking employment a significant edge in that they bridge the gap between tertiary education and the workplace environment. Currently more than 1 500 interns have been placed within various GPG departments. Some have already been absorbed by their respective departments.
The province views internships as an integral part of job creation as they present a potential for full-time employment. In addition to learnerships and internships, the GCRA offers bursaries to learners wishing to pursue relevant post-school studies, as part of implementing the Skills Development Act.
This year alone, the provincial government spent R58 million on bursaries to students studying in universities and FET colleges.
For unemployment database forms and enquiries contact the GCRA at 011 556 9000.
For more information contact:
Matlakala Motloung
Tel: 011 355 6878
Cell: 082 787 9472
Gauteng to decrease skills shortage through internships
Province
