YES aims to provide a million jobs
One million jobs in the next three years. That is the target of government’s Youth Employment Services (YES).
It will not solve the problem of every second South African between the ages of 25 and 34 being jobless, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2018, but it is a healthy start.
Richard Ryding heads up the B-BBEE Consulting Division of East London’s Global Business Solutions, where he consults and advises clients on how to maximise their B-BBEE scores.
Ryding said in a recent interview that YES’s target was providing paid work experiences to one million 18- to 35year-old South Africans over the next three years.
It will achieve this with amendments to the BroadBased Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Codes of Good Practice, by allowing companies to maximise B-BBEE points through the YES initiative.
The scheme is a partnership between government, labour and civil society.
YES will assist with promoting new jobs in existing companies, including Small to Medium Enterprises (SMMEs), and helping to create new SMMEs.
The YES programme is open to companies that are already in various B-BBEE categories, the details of which are set out on the YES website (see below).
When companies participate in YES, the previously unemployed youths that they employ must get a yearly contract and be paid at or above the minimum wage rate.
The wins for YES participating companies are tangible improvements in the B-BBEE scorecard. If a company doubles its YES targets, and achieves a 5% placement rate, it can jump two B-BBEE levels.
Colin Davies, a director of NPM Geomatics, said B-BBEE accreditation was an entry ticket to government, provincial and municipal work in the construction, or “built” sector.
He said it was common knowledge that without B-BBEE accreditation, companies could forget tendering.
“However, the greater imperative is that joining YES – if one has the minimum points – is simply the right thing to do. In the past companies were shortcircuiting on the spirit of B-BBEE, putting in unqualified people at director level, just to build points.
“Today, more and more companies are employing on ability, and have reached the right levels without really making it a target, which is good common business sense.”
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