Skills, job opportunities for Gauteng youth

Gauteng Premier David Makhura delivered his State of the Province Address (SoPA) where he outlined bold plans aimed at moving the province forward.

The plans include a special focus on youth empowerment, job creation, growing small businesses and maintaining infrastructure in the province. 

The Gauteng Provincial Government has formed partnerships that will provide thousands of young people with training and job opportunities, while empowering them with the relevant skills needed in the job market.

One of the programmes, Tshepo 500 000, focuses on creating opportunities for half a million young people to enter the labour market and access skills and entrepreneurial development.

Microsoft and government will also partner over the next two years to provide one million young people with training opportunities in digital skills.

In partnership with the Massive Open Online Varsity, an additional 80 000 young people will access free, high-quality online university education.

The provincial government will also partner with the Business Process Outsourcing Sector to facilitate the creation of 20 000 digital jobs for young people over the next three years.

Other partnerships include: 

• One with Buddibox and the National Youth Development Agency to provide 10 000 ownership and entrepreneurial opportunities in the cooperative wholesale and retail sector.
• One with Coca Cola to provide employment and new entrepreneurship opportunities for 30 000 new retail outlets in the townships for youth.

Another programme targeting youth is the National Youth Service, which will increase the number of opportunities for young people in the Expanded Public Works Programme and the Community Works Programme to 300 000.

“We are launching Gauteng@Work, targeting young people, who will be contracted by government and sub-contracted by companies doing business with government, to do infrastructure maintenance and other work in public facilities,” said Premier Makhura