Youth get chance to fight crime

MORE than 60 unemployed young people have been recruited by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) to receive training that will offer workplace experience.

The police watchdog, in collaboration with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), launched its first-ever learnership programme yesterday.

It is aimed at providing employment opportunities and workplace exposure for young people to ultimately acquire the National Certificate Vocational Level 4.

The recruits will be placed at Ipid offices in all nine provinces and also at its head office in Pretoria, where they will capture dockets into the system and also work at the toll-free centres to record complaints from citizens.

Ipid executive director Jennifer Ntlatseng said to date the directorate had collaborated with the NYDA, Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority, and the Presidency in implementing the youth development strategy in the department.

She said the collaboration will ensure that youth acquire the necessary experience to prepare them for employment, not only in Ipid but also in other entities within the safety and security environment.

“The key focus areas of the strategy are to improve interdepartmental collaboration on youth development strategy; and formalise the graduate recruitment scheme for safety and security to attract highly skilled people. Youth skills development supports youth absorption into employment, particularly in law enforcement agencies.”

Police deputy Minister Cassel Mathale said with the unemployment rate among the youth being another scourge, the initiative would empower learners to be employable at the end of the programme.