Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant took a giant leap today (June 7) when she officially launched the Job Fairs initiative, one of a basket of interventions by the department to alleviate the crisis of unemployment, especially that of youth in South Africa.
Oliphant used the opportunity to announce that the Department of Labour (DoL) seeks to register 600 000 work seekers by 2013 using the Public Employment Services (PES).
“We want to ensure that of those registered at least 450 000 are placed within 30 days of registration. We want to support a multi-pronged strategy working close with the department’s agencies and various other departments to save and create jobs,” Oliphant said.
Oliphant was addressing the launch of the inaugural Jobs Fair at the ICC East London in the Eastern Cape under the theme: “Towards Decent Work for Jobseekers”.
The launch of the DoL’s Jobs Fair ran in parallel with Eastern Cape’s Job Summit, in which the province had identified a number of economic nodes to develop in order to re-industrialised the province, develop infrastructure and expand economic development. The economic growth path followed by the province is part of a strategy to tie the Eastern Cape’s economy to KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape corridor.
Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet told the gathering that the unveiling of the number of projects was part of a drive to crush the backbone of poverty, unemployment and joblessness. Kiviet said joblessness in the province was a serious matter percent at a rate of 28,3%. She said job creation was an apex priority in the current fiscal term.
Kiviet said the provinces job creation strategy has as its pillar the creation of new jobs, job retention, and skills development among others, “therefore, we have set a realistic target to create at least 150 000 by 2014. The focus will be on scaling up public workers programme, investing in job stimulus project in infrastructure and grow agro industries”.
Oliphant told the gathering that the department through the Public Employment Services has over the years built a comprehensive data base of work seekers across all work disciplines.
Through the initiative the Minister of Labour seeks to build a working relationship with other social partners and providing a link between work seekers and potential job opportunities.
PES is a directorate created by DoL to play an active role to assist the unemployed to find work and skills development opportunities, and act as a conduit by employers to find employees. PES uses an electronic system, called the Employment Services system of South Africa (ESSA) to ensure that job-matching happens efficiently.
A new DoL’s PES branded bus branded will be used during the Fairs to help register the job seekers. The bus is fitted with state of the art technology and is manned by trained personnel.
The Fairs will take the form of a Summit that will run parallel with an exhibition and, there will be close interaction between prospective employers and employees. The minister said the department’s labour centres will also on a constant basis also on a small scale host similar Fairs.
In the period April 2011 to March 2012 through its 16 labour centres in the province, PES has managed to register 36 200 job seekers and 18 000 of those went through career guidance and counselling, while successfully placing 4 217 in job opportunities in the areas of manufacturing, electrical sector, social and others.
Oliphant cautioned that the problem of unemployment and joblessness is a serious threat to the stability. She said the problem is made more acute because those who are at the receiving end are the young members of society between the ages of 18 and 25, who should be infused into the economic development of this country.
As the Department of Labour, she said: “We have committed to meeting the challenge through increased focus on: decent work campaign; Public Employment Services; and, strengthening social security and the institutional capacity of the Department.
“The jobs fairs which will be rolled out to all provinces constitute just one of those short-term but sustainable interventions”.
Oliphant said the DoL’s public entity, Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has invested significant amounts in the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) run projects which aim at saving as well as creating jobs.
A total of R4-billion has been invested by DoL. These funds are available to start-up businesses and also support the expansion of existing businesses. Based on approved business plans, the first two bonds of R500 million each have supported the creation 15,056 jobs and the saving of a further 18, 637 jobs.
Oliphant disclosed that the Department had set up training and social plan funding in conjunction with National Skills Fund (NSF), the various Sector Education Training Authorities (SETA’s) and Productivity South Africa.
Another area of involvement has been the Training Lay-Off Scheme and through this, has signed funding agreements to the value of R31.11 million from the inception of the scheme up to 31 December 2011 and has paid R9.55 million in training allowances to participating employers and employees. Through this scheme, 18 companies and 4,330 workers have been assisted.
Through the UIF, she said DoL has also invested heavily in artisan training with 324 candidates in the metal, engineering, motor and plumbing trades. IT also entered into a co-funding partnership with the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) on the one hand to subsidise the apprentice training of 1000 unemployed youth, and the Merseta on the other hand to subsidise the training of 1500 unemployed youth.
“To this end, the department has ensured that officials from PES have been exposed to issues discussed on multilateral forums like the G20 Labour and Employment, ILO Youth Employment, International exchanges with the Swedish, German and French governments, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Department of Higher Education and Training and other local forums that are involved in addressing youth unemployment related matters,” she said.
For more information contact:
Vuyokazi Mbanjwa
Cell: 082 889 3936
Musa Zondi
Cell: 082 901 8081
Labour Minister Oliphant unveils Job Fair concept to help alleviate unemployment
