UIF training project gives a boost to job creation
THE Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, officially launched a job training project worth R551 million aimed at creating jobs in the fibre optics, food handling and mixed farming sectors at the University of Kwazulu-natal on Friday.
“In light of the added employment mandate in our department, we are urging the private sector and all potential stakeholders to partner with us to reduce and end unemployment in the country. Partnerships are key to creating jobs. Therefore, all Unemployment Insurace Fund (UIF) training projects must be linked to employment creation because we do not want learners to [be] idle at home upon completion of training,” said Nxesi.
The department collaborated with the Fuze Institute for Humanitarian Praxis and UIF, among others, to create jobs, upskill and empower the unemployed, including the youth, to become entrepreneurs.
The UIF’S Labour Activation Programme (LAP) has budgeted R551m for three projects which stand to benefit 19 921 participants in KZN. More than half of the beneficiaries were UIF contributors who became unemployed. Of the 19 921 beneficiaries, 14 771 will be trained as chief food handlers, 5 000 in enterprise development (mixed farming) and 150 as fibre optic technicians. The KZN Education Department has absorbed 14771 beneficiaries following the completion of their training.
Bayanda Zaca, 27, now the head chef at Tafta on the Ridge, a home for the elderly in Durban, said his career has been given a major boost by the initiative. He was unemployed for a year before joining the programme.
“I was part of the programme in 2019/20 in professional cooking. It has been a great experience and the journey that took me a blink of an eye to be where I am now. This programme is very useful since it’s trying to reach as many people as it can to grant them an opportunity to better their lives.”
Another beneficiary, Luyanda Luthuli, 28, a beauty and aesthetics therapist from Empangeni, said her life had changed for the better.
“I was part of the 2019 Labour Activation Programme for skills and development under the nail and beauty technology faculty. I’m currently working as the programme has offered me a more in-depth set of skills in the form of theory learning and practicals.
“I’m now able to provide for myself and my family. I now can travel the world and broaden my experience in the aesthetics industry,” said Luthuli.
Nomzamo Bhuyeni, 34, from Inanda, who was part of the 2021 programme, said she was excited about the future.
“What I’m most excited about is the fact that, after the training, we will be helped to get jobs. We are grateful that there is help, especially for those who could not further their education because of limited funds. I’d like to open my own business some day as a fibre technician and create jobs for those in need,” said Bhuyeni.