The expectation that job creation will dominate the 2011 State of the Nation Address stems from the high unemployment figures, especially amongst young people, and President Jacob Zuma’s utterances during the 2010 State of the Nation Address that it is important to lay the groundwork for growth that gives rise to more jobs. During the address the President also directed the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to work faster to establish its structures throughout the country so that it can assist in mainstreaming youth development programmes within government.
Since the President’s address, the NYDA has created and/or sustained 15,810 jobs mainly through the enterprise finance and business development services divisions. The enterprise finance division offers loans ranging from R1,000 to R5 million; this includes microfinance, cooperative and group lending funding. The business development services division offers business mentorship for up-and-coming entrepreneurs, links young entrepreneurs to emerging procurement opportunities and offers business development support services such as bookkeeping, marketing and tendering support. In the current financial year (2010/11) the NYDA has issued business loans to the value of R14.2 million to 6,089 enterprises.
To improve its accessibility, especially in the rural areas, the NYDA plans to have local youth offices in all 283 municipalities.
The NYDA has taken the following steps to bring its programmes and services closer to the people:
A Local Youth Office was opened at Inquza Hill Municipality in Flagstaff.
An office at the Maponya Mall Thusong Centre in Soweto has recently opened. Plans are on the way to relocate the Cape Town office to a bigger and more central place; Golden Acre Centre, located at the heart of the Cape Town CBD.
Plans are underway to open offices in Klerksdorp, Welkom, Richards Bay and Tzaneen. There are plans to target local municipalities with local youth units with the view of converting these into local youth offices.
The process of converting the existing YAC points to Local Youth Offices in collaboration with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and local municipalities has also started. The NYDA has appointed Provincial Advisory Boards (PABs) in all nine provinces which act on an advisory capacity to the National NYDA board on matters related to youth development in their respective provinces. This will ensure that the NYDA implements relevant programmes and services in each province.
The NYDA corporate strategy is in place and the work the organisation has been doing is in line with this strategy. The organisation is also in the process of finalising the Integrated Youth Development Strategy (IYDS) which will serve as a guide for all sectors of society implementing youth development projects. Broad consultations on the IYDS will start during February so that the organisation can acquire the input of young people, youth organisations, the public and private sectors and civil society.
For the 2011/12 financial year the NYDA will continue to increase its access points by establishing provincial and regional offices. The organisation will also work towards achieving government’s target of bringing unemployment down to 15 percent by 2020.
The expectation that job creation will dominate the 2011 state of the nation address stems from the high unemployment figures, especially amongst young people, and President Jacob Zuma’s utterances during the 2010 state of the nation address that it is important to lay the groundwork for growth that gives rise to more jobs. During the address the President also directed the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to work faster to establish its structures throughout the country so that it can assist in mainstreaming youth development programmes within government.
Since the President’s address, the NYDA has created and/or sustained 15,810 jobs mainly through the enterprise finance and business development services divisions. The enterprise finance division offers loans ranging from R1,000 to R5 million; this includes microfinance, cooperative and group lending funding. The business development services division offers business mentorship for up-and-coming entrepreneurs, links young entrepreneurs to emerging procurement opportunities and offers business development support services such as bookkeeping, marketing and tendering support. In the current financial year (2010/11) the NYDA has issued business loans to the value of R14.2 million to 6,089 enterprises.
To improve its accessibility, especially in the rural areas, the NYDA plans to have Local Youth Offices in all 283 municipalities.
The NYDA has taken the following steps to bring its programmes and services closer to the people:
- A Local Youth Office was opened at Inquza Hill Municipality in Flagstaff
- An office at the Maponya Mall Thusong Centre in Soweto has recently opened
- Plans are on the way to relocate the Cape Town office to a bigger and more central place; Golden Acre Centre, located at the heart of the Cape Town CBD
- Plans are underway to open offices in Klerksdorp, Welkom, Richards Bay and Tzaneen
- There are plans to target local municipalities with local youth units with the view of converting these into Local Youth Offices
- The process of converting the existing YAC points to Local Youth Offices in collaboration with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and local municipalities has also started
- The NYDA has appointed Provincial Advisory Boards (PABs) in all nine provinces which act on an advisory capacity to the National NYDA board on matters related to youth development in their respective provinces. This will ensure that the NYDA implements relevant programmes and services in each province.
The NYDA corporate strategy is in place and the work the organisation has been doing is in line with this strategy. The organisation is also in the process of finalising the Integrated Youth Development Strategy (IYDS) which will serve as a guide for all sectors of society implementing youth development projects. Broad consultations on the IYDS will start during February so that the organisation can acquire the input of young people, youth organisations, the public and private sectors and civil society.
For the 2011/12 financial year the NYDA will continue to increase its access points by establishing provincial and regional offices. The organisation will also work towards achieving government’s target of bringing unemployment down to 15 percent by 2020.
