YES already putting in the hours
young people being offered paid work experience over the next three years. It takes the form of a partnership between government‚ business‚ labour and civil society.
“We know that the depth of youth unemployment is huge and therefore we have to respond,” Ramaphosa said.
“Although the obstacles [young people face] are daunting‚ we have resources to overcome the obstacles.”
He said the government was working towards improving the quality of learning to ensure that young people complete matric. “What is concerning is that a million young people enter the schooling system and only half a million make it to matric.”
He said the government, in partnership with business, will create more programmes aimed at alleviating youth unemployment. Joseph Mahlangu‚ 26‚ is‚ through the Youth Employment Service (YES) initiative, working as a recruiter for Lulaway recruitment agency.
“I was out of a job for a year after graduating with an industrial psychology degree.”
The YES initiative was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Fourways, Johannesburg, yesterday and is aimed at seeing more than one million youths being offered paid work experience at various companies over the next three years.
Another young person, Janine McEwan‚ 29‚ had been out of a job for five years‚ but thanks to YES‚ she is among 100 youths who have been placed in various companies.
“This initiative has changed my life. I am now on a learnership programme at Sasol,” said McEwan.
The initiative takes the form of a partnership – led by Ramaphosa – between government‚ business‚ labour and civil society.