DPWI creates valuable employment experience for young professionals as part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Package
On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the Presidential Employment Stimulus Package (PESP) employment programme had reached the 1 million mark since its inception in late 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating economic impact, threatening the jobs and livelihoods of many South Africans – especially the most vulnerable. The pandemic has exacerbated South Africa’s pre-existing crises of poverty and unemployment.
The Presidential Employment Stimulus sought to confront this impact directly, as part of government’s broader economic recovery agenda. It aimed is to use direct public investment to support employment opportunities.
The PESP Intervention contributed towards Government Priority 2: Economic Transformation and Job Creation and Priority 3 Education. Skills & Health of the Medium Term Strategic Framework (2019 -2024) and further contributes to the Economy Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) contributed to the PESP and was granted an amount of just over R158.8million to participate on job creation under the PESP.
The funding was for 1 560 participants in the 2020/21 financial year effective from 1 November 2020 – 31 March 2021. A total number of 1 886 beneficiaries participated in DPWI PESP programme of which 1 113 were females and 773 were males.
The aim of the programme was also to equip beneficiaries with experience and skills to strengthen their employability opportunities.
The recruitment of beneficiaries was decentralized to Regional Offices and the opportunities were advertised nationwide. The DPWI unemployed database skills for infrastructure was utilized to source additional beneficiaries where required. The recruitment was aligned to the District Development Model.
DPWI created the following job opportunities under the PESP:
PROGRAMME Water and Energy Efficiency (Green Economy)
Number of jobs167
PROGRAMME DPWI Water Treatment Plants
Number of jobs 157
PROGRAMME Welisizwe Rural Bridges
Number of jobs 496
PROGRAMME Facilities Management
Number of jobs 349
PROGRAMME Real Estate
Number of jobs 108
PROGRAMME PMTE In-House Projects
Number of jobs 134
PROGRAMME Private Public Collaboration
Number of jobs 430
PROGRAMME Project Administrators
Number of jobs 45
Total Number of Job Opportunities 1 886
Deployments Geographical Spread
PROVINCE Gauteng
DPWI CENTRE Head Office
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 94
PROVINCE Gauteng
DPWI CENTRE Pretoria
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 82
PROVINCE Gauteng
DPWI CENTRE Johannesburg
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 260
PROVINCE Eastern Cape
DPWI CENTRE Mthatha
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 249
PROVINCE Eastern Cape
DPWI CENTRE Port Elizabeth
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 69
PROVINCE Free State
DPWI CENTRE Bloemfontein
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 171
PROVINCE KwaZulu Natal
DPWI CENTRE Durban
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 70
PROVINCE Limpopo
DPWI CENTRE Polokwane
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 548
PROVINCE Mpumalanga
DPWI CENTRE Nelspruit
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 113
PROVINCE Northern Cape
DPWI CENTRE Kimberley
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 19
PROVINCE North West
DPWI CENTRE Mmabatho
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 43
PROVINCE Western Cape
DPWI CENTRE Cape Town
IDENTIFIED RECRUITED NUMBERS 168
Total Opportunities 1 886
As DPWI we were able to employ graduates in various projects in the department as part of the PESP.
This included the employment of graduates for the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme, as well as artisans and professionals in facilities management and waste management.
Other beneficiaries recruited by DPWI included Engineers, Town Planners and architects.
Many of these graduates were able to secure external employment since being part of the PESP.
This has been one of the noted successes of the programme as these graduates could go into their private sector jobs with some experience from the PESP.
Some of the programme outcomes as a result of the work of the PESP beneficiaries included:
- Water and Energy Efficiency Facilities Management work: energy and water audits were conducted at 15 facilities
- Water and Sanitation Facilities: 17 water treatment plants operated and maintained
- The Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme: 350 sites identified for technical assessments and 400 desk top assessments conducted while 12 rural bridges were completed.
- Facilities Management: Conditions assessments were conducted on 113 state facilities and 53 technical maintenance tasks completed.
- Real Estate Management: 698 rates verification of client’s accounts and 177 immovable assets updated on the register
- In house construction projects: 8 feasibility studies conducted, 3 sketch plans developed, 56 site visits conducted
- Public Private Collaborations: 35 water treatment plants operated and maintained
Under the work conducted by beneficiaries some of the skills required for the work they conducted included: technical report writing, plant operation, energy and water analysis verification skills, Site Investigation, Desktop Studies, Research and Investigation, knowledge of high level condition assessment, Client Management Skills, Technical advisory skills, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Maintenance and Data collection and analysis.
PROGRAMME IMPACT SUMMARY
Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme
The Programme forms part of the Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) and the Infrastructure Investment Plan - a vehicle within the Economy Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.
The PESP participants were part of teams which identified high risk sites where Welisizwe Rural Bridges can be constructed.
A total number of 350 sites were physically identified and 400 were identified through the desktop exercises. These technical assessments are critical for planning and roll out of the programme.
Facilities Management Employment
Conditions Assessments are conducted with an objective of developing a planned Public Infrastructure Costed Maintenance Strategy on the depleting state buildings. Proper maintenance of states building will maximize state buildings value and save cost on maintenance.
Beneficiaries that were deployed to the technical Call Centre were attending to user departments technical faults calls and provide technical advice or speedy allocate artisans to attend to clients.
Real Estate
The department faces the challenge of collecting rental incomes from the client departments and experiences backlogs on lease payments.
The availability of the PESP capacity has reduced the backlog and beneficiaries processed payments of 67 accounts. The beneficiaries were also updating the Immovable Asset Register which contributes toward the clean audit for DPWI. The updated Immovable Asset Register informs the department acquisition and disposal of the State’s properties decisions which can benefit the community at large.
In-House Construction projects
The Professionals that were appointed under the PESP played a major role in capacitating DPWI with the technical skills. The professionals were involved in the in-house designs & feasibility studies which saves 10% of the consulting fees. The professionals further monitored the works of consultants to ensure that they don’t overcharge the state.
The Town Planners formed part of the in-house team that executed town planning services 100% in house.
The Architects are designing the Correctional Services Centre to be built in the Free State. The design is done 100% in house. When designs are done in-house it reduces the turnaround time of delivery due to the eliminated tender process time, and saves money for the department on consultants’ fees.
Eighty seven (87) Beneficiaries from the 2020/21 programme secured permanent jobs.
DPWI continued to create employment opportunities in the 2021/22 financial year allocating funding from within the department and jobs were created under the Economy Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) skills programme.
The Department re-appointed PESP Beneficiaries into the ERRP - Skills Development Programme effective from July 2021 till 31 March 2022.
The total number of beneficiaries that participated on ERRP - Skills programme was 1 230 across all nine provinces. Of the 1 230 beneficiaries, 719 females and 511 males.
The beneficiaries were placed in the following Programmes:
- Facilities Management (Water & Efficiency, Conditions Assessments, Call Center, Technical Workshop, and Water Treatment Plants)
- Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme
- Real Estate
- Construction Project Management
- Project Administrators are appointed to provide Administration support to the ERRP - Skills Development Project.
- Further to that the Department identified external stakeholders to host beneficiaries as follows;
- Eastern Cape Provincial Public Works
- Limpopo Provincial Public Works
- Department of Correctional Services
- Department of Transport and Roads, Free State Province
- Various Water Boards
- Vhembe District Municipality
- State Water Treatment Plants
- Private Sector
During this period, 78 beneficiaries were absorbed into the labour market.
The DPWI Professional Services branch are currently expanding the existing Skills Pipeline Strategy to absorb more graduates into the department through this strategy. The beneficiaries were also advised to register on the DPWI unemployed database so that they can be linked to available opportunities.
The department also trained graduates on the importance of Professional Registration in the Built Environment. Graduates registered as Candidates with Professional Bodies to pursue professional registration in order to strengthen their chances to participate in mentorship opportunities as and when they become available.
The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme has encouraged real innovation in how we deliver public employment programmes across government, from how we recruit participants to the type of work that is supported. We must continue to take valuable lessons from this programme and expand it to continue creating much needed jobs for our people including highly skilled jobs.
Our youth have a major role to play in building South Africa back better and we must continue to invest in them every day by providing them with the skills and work experience so that they are better equipped for the job market.
Enquiries:
Zara Nicholson: Media Liaison Officer to Minister Patricia de Lille
Mobile: 079 416 5996
Email: zara.nicholson@dpw.gov.za
