Cyril launches youth job plan

Initiative wants to create 1 million jobs at R3 500 each per month.

Ahighly anticipated youth employment initiative, in response to a cry for increased opportunities and government support, has finally taken off.

President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday launched the Youth Employment Services (YES) initiative, which aims to provide job opportunities for young people across the country and reduce the burden of unemployment.

The business-led initiative merges government, labour and civil society and aims to empower one million young South Africans through paid work experience for the next three years.

With the overall unemployment rate at 5.9 million, Tashmia Ismail-Saville, CEO of the YES initiative, emphasised the importance of job creation in the tourism sector.

Ismail-Saville also highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for young people, using a bottom-up strategy. “In aims to create economic growth, we want to target the youth first. The youth is largely overlooked by the country’s current employment models,” she said.

Through the initiative, young people would be paid a minimum monthly wage of R3 500.

Businesses employing black people between the ages of 18 and 29 would be eligible for recognition in terms of the Employment Tax Incentive. They will also qualify for a new youth employment BBBEE recognition, which will be gazetted shortly.

“This is a crucial first chance to gain a paid work experience of a decent quality. This significantly increases their chances of securing permanent employment after the year,” said Ismail-Saville.

Thembinkosi Josopu, president of the South African Youth Council (SAYC), emphasised the lack of commitment within the business sector in creating jobs for young people. “Young people don’t want handouts, they want recognition for the work that they do.”

Sharing similar sentiments, Gauteng Premier David Makhura said the government saw the need for a social compact between themselves and businesses. “This initiative is a positive contribution to grow young people.

“Through this initiative, we are determined to attract investors and create more jobs through a collective effort,” Makhura said.

Picture: Yeshiel Panchia THUMBS UP. Gauteng Premier David Makhura and President Cyril Ramaphosa with students at the launch of the Youth Employment Service programme at Riverside Incubation Hub yesterday. The project aims at employing more than one million young South Africans...