Following a meeting with the Department of Higher Education and Training, Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and her Executive Council have resolved to absorb additional 300 Further Education and Training (FET) unemployed graduates this financial year. Mokonyane met the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, on Wednesday.
The Premier of the most populous province in the country added that the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) would ensure that the 300 graduates were placed within various departments for experiential learning in areas of tourism, engineering, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), design, food and beverages, amongst others.
“The Office of the Premier will take the responsibility of co-ordinating the work of the provincial departments in the pursuit of this objective,” said Mokonyane. In the last financial year alone, the provincial government provided 7 986 internship and learnership opportunities to unemployed young people to gain work experience.
This is the largest intake of interns per year compared to other provinces in the country. “Youth unemployment, if not addressed with a sense of urgency, could have a negative impact on the economy, more especially in the Gauteng province as it is the economic hub of South Africa,” Mokonyane said.
In its arsenal in the battle against youth joblessness, the province has established the provincial Youth Employment Strategy; which is centred on four pillars namely: the placement of matric graduates, township hubs - “Qoqa Abolova”, entrepreneurship development and importantly, skills development.
The province’s decision to provide more workplace opportunities to graduates is in line with the second pillar of the Youth Employment Accord that was launched by Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, in Soweto on Thursday, which placed emphasis on the improvement in training and work experience.
Through this pillar, the government seeks to connect young people with employment opportunities by supporting placement schemes and work readiness promotion programmes. Mokonyane called on all employers to also expand their intake of young people in internship and learnership programmes.
For more information contact:
Thebe Mohatle, Premier’s Spokesperson
Cell: 082 373 1146
