The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Labour Activation Programme (LAP), which is set up to provide training for employment and entrepreneurship programmes, is up-and-running and set to be rolled-out in other provinces, says Employment and Labour Minister, Thulas Nxesi.
Addressing an employer’s breakfast session at the Kempton Park Civic Centre on Friday, Nxesi said South Africa finds itself in the throes of an ever-changing technological era, and this calls for adaptation.
“We are living in a technological era. This massive training is now needed to be implemented on a large scale to multi-skill the unemployed [so they can] adapt to the ever-changing world of technology,” Nxesi said.
Last week, Nxesi announced that the Department of Employment and Labour, through the UIF’s LAP,has launched a R23.8 billion programme to fund the training for employment and entrepreneurship programme.
Nxesi said government plans to help business, especially small enterprises, because the “big employer is small business”.
The Minister appealed for partnerships at district level to ensure integrated interventions as part of the District Development Model (DDM).
“It is unacceptable that Gauteng, as the country’s economic hub, has a high unemployment rate and this situation could be even be worse in other provinces,” Nxesi said.
During the employer breakfast, a number of service providers were handed certificates confirming their participation in the programme.
Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, who shared the podium with Nxesi, reiterated the role of partnerships.
Ndabeni-Abrahams said the National Development Plan (NDP) envisioned the creation of 11 million new jobs by 2030 and that most of these should come from small business.
She said that the only way to make South Africa work is to grow small business.
“We have to also look at developing new industries. We are continuously advocating for more incentives to be given to business, especially those geared towards promoting small business,” the Minister said.
Ndabeni-Abrahams also emphasised the need to support informal businesses to transition to formal business.
The employer’s breakfast session was held alongside the Jobs and Careers Fair held in Tembisa.
The event is part of an initiative to engage with individuals seeking employment, providing them with the opportunity to interact with potential employers and gain insights into crucial career paths. – SAnews.gov.za
