Youth say YES to greener futures

TO address youth unemployment, CapeNature and the Department of Environmental Affairs celebrated their successful first year of the Youth Environmental Services (YES) Programme with a graduation of 110 participants.

YES Programme objectives include skills development through acquiring 120 credits from the scarce skills courses identified, local economic development for services and procurement related to the programme, and community service interventions.

Both entities aim to address challenges of youth unemployment and prioritise local communities living in and adjacent to the nature reserves across the Western Cape.

The funding for the programme by the Department of Environmental Affairs will empower 272 youths over two years from communities in dire need.

CapeNature chief executive Dr Razeena Omar said: “This particular programme affirms our commitment to promote the education of women, in that 64 out of the 110 graduates are women.”

The programme, run by the People and Conservation component of Cape-Nature, includes skills development in natural resource guardianship, community house-building, tourism guiding, new venture creation and assistant chef training.

Along with forming successful partnerships with the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, Benchmark, Nedbank and Old Mutual, the graduates have been catapulted into positions within the environment, tourism sector, construction and hospitality industries.