Johnathan Paoli
Employment and Labour Minister Thula Nxesi has officially announced the launch of a multi-billion job creation programme including skills development and training to assist in tackling unemployment.
The programme will pilot in Gauteng where 55 projects across different sectors will be launched and more than 500 000 jobs are expected to be created.
Nxesi launched the Labour Activation Programme (LAP) on Saturday at Nasrec Expo Centre which he described as a mass skills training programme that forms part of a joint project with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Gauteng government.
Acting Director General Onke Mjo confirmed that the money for the programme came from UIF reserves.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, in his address during the event, highlighted the dire situation in which there were disproportionately a large number of applications for a limited number of posts and said the government must implement mechanisms in order to absorb those excess numbers of people who couldn’t be employed.
Lesufi said the province will be the first to do away with the R350 Social Distress Grants by giving young people jobs through the labour activation programmes.
“We are looking for anyone who is unemployed and who wants to reestablish their lives. We are looking for anyone that is frustrated,” Lesufi said.
The Premier called on unemployed South Africans to go to the nearest school or community hall next weekend, and said the details will be issued.
He said the 1.6 million previously unsuccessful applicants did not have to register, 55 000 of whom have already qualified.
Nxesi said the project would be rolled out nationally, with R23.8 billion set aside for the implementation of the 333 projects, across as many as 21 sectors including agriculture, construction, IT, mining, transport, energy, wholesale and retail.
The training opportunities will run for a period of 12 to 36 months and industries will then offer employment for up to 1 to 2 years.
Speaking ahead of the launch earlier in the week, Nxesi said the LAP was expected to create over 500 000 jobs during the month of April starting in Gauteng, with a total goal of over absorbing 700 000 unemployed people across the country.
“As early as next week, we will be talking about a joint programme with the Department of Higher Education and Training, and Small Business, which is also a collaboration with the programme we are talking about today,” Nxesi said.
The rollout is expected in KwaZulu-Natal on 16 April, Western Cape 17 April, Eastern Cape 19 April, Free State 22 April, North West 23 April, and Mpumalanga on 24 April 2024.
The launch will then move to Limpopo on 30 April, with the last roll-out taking place in the Northern Cape on 9 May this year.
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