The Departments of Basic Education and Employment and Labour have called on all qualifying people to apply for Phase V of the Basic Education Employment Initiative through the SAYouth.mobi portal.
Applications can be submitted through SAYouth.mobi from 22 April to 9 May 2025.
Government aims to reduce unemployment among young people by providing 204 676 job opportunities across the country.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the two departments said the youth will be placed in schools as General Assistants and Education Assistants.
The BEEI programme targets youth aged 18 to 34 turning 35 by the end of March 2026.
The DBE on Tuesday briefed the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education in Parliament on the progress made in preparing the youth for the BEEI.
“The Department of Basic Education in collaboration with the Department of Employment and Labour is implementing job opportunities for youth through the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. The implementation of Phase V is supported by the Industrial Development Corporation as the implementing agent to disburse stipends to beneficiaries.
“The main objective of the initiative is to equip the youth with hard and soft skills that will assist them to explore opportunities elsewhere when they exit the BEEI,” the departments said.
Through the provision of Curriculum Assistants, this initiative will provide support to sector priorities such as Mathematics, Science and Technology, high enrolment subjects in the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase, reading and literacy, supporting teachers in classrooms and support reading initiatives in schools and communities.
To support the priorities of the 7th Administration, the initiative will allocate more opportunities towards reading champions to support the improvement of reading and literacy in the foundation and intermediate phases.
It will also provide e-Cadres to schools to assist teachers with integration of ICT in classrooms, as well as maximise on the use of school administration and information management systems that government has put in place in schools.
The initiative will further also provide comprehensive support to learners, including psychosocial support; sport, arts, and culture activities through the provision of Care and Support Assistants (CSA) and Sport and Enrichment Assistants (SEA).
“This will ensure that schools are assisted in meeting with the need to create a safe and conducive learning environment, by maintaining infrastructure, cleaning school surroundings through the provision of GSAs. Laboratory Assistants and Workshop Assistants to support the two areas to ensure they remain functional and usable by learners and teachers,” the departments said.
In addition to accessing cash stipends the participating youth will be expected to attend training programmes on a variety of areas. The BEEI commences in schools in earnest from 1 June 2025 terminating 30 November 2025. – SAnews.gov.za
