Local business community pours in support for unemployed youth in Matlosana
Matlosana: Organised and individual business in the City of Matlosana Local Municipality have resonantly pledged their support for the North West Provincial Government’s intervention programme aimed at skilling and creating jobs for Matlosana’s unemployed youth.
This emerged last night during a session initiated by the Office of the Premier through its Reconciliation, Healing and Renewal Programme, which was attended by representatives from local private companies, MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management Dr Mpho Motlhabane who represented Premier Supra Mahumapelo, the Executive Mayor of City of Matlosana Cllr Maetu Kgaile and the City of Matlosana’s Members of Mayoral Committee.
The pledges by the business community, led by the Matlosana Business Chamber, Westvaal Chamber of Business, NAFCOC and VTSD Matlosana and individual businesses, ranged from monetary contributions towards the already established Matlosana Development Trust, education and skills development initiatives, free training on engineering services, to recruitment in various infrastructure projects within the parameters of the Local Municipality.
“We have identified manufacturing and renewable energy as a key focal point for this year, so our pledge to this initiative is to establish a centre for entrepreneur excellence. We will take 50 new candidates for training over a period of 18 months, and get them ready to start their businesses in the sectors of manufacturing and renewable energy, so that when mines decides to finally close, at least we have an alternative sector to focus on”, pledged Westvaal Chamber of Business.
Through the support sourced from the National Skills Fund and the Services SETAs, the local FET College offered to place learners in the municipality for apprenticeships which will include boiler-making, fitters, electricians and welders.
“These will be 20 in each of the different trades. They will be trained for a period of three years, and all learners will receive a stipend”.
One consulting firm, Mbuzo Management Solution pledged to help bring back the University of Technology to the City of Matlosana, and that extra efforts will be made to ensure that first classes starts in 2018.
About R200 000.00 was pledged for the Matlosana Development Trust, which was established by the Municipality with a view to assist local youth with their tertiary education.
MEC Dr Mpho Motlhabane who represented the Premier of North West, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, expressed the provincial government’s gratefulness for the level of commitment demonstrated by the business to this noble course.
“The manner in which you have responded to the call to join hands and help reintegrate our youth with the broader society, will go a long in building a better future for those that have been involved in gangsterism activities”.
“Your collectivism in approaching economic transformation will serve as an example, not only to other districts in the province, but to the entire country. Indeed, one of our pillars, Saamtrek-Saamwerk is being actualised” said MEC Dr Motlhabane.
The local residents had during last December’s restorative justice initiative led by Premier Mahumapelo, attributed the high unemployment rate amongst the youth as the main cause of violent crimes and gangsterism at the City of Matlosana’s townships such as Kanana in Orkney and Khuma in Stilfontein.
Premier Mahumapelo is leading this public private partnership initiative as part of the Provincial Government’s Reconciliation, Healing and Renewal (RHR) programme and the Saamtrek-Saamwerk philosophy.
Enquiries:
Mr Brian Setswambung
Provincial Head of Communication
Office of the Premier
Cell: 076 012 4501
E-mail: bsetswambung@nwpg.gov.za
