Pretoria – The Gauteng Infrastructure Development MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, has announced interventions aimed at creating jobs and developing skills in the province.
His department will soon launch a departmental co-operative as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to ensure that people who are doing their learnerships get quality employment.
The cooperative will target vulnerable groups including people with disabilities, military veterans, women and young people. The cooperative will be launched before the end of 2016.
MEC Mamabolo addressed hundreds of learners, who are participating in the National Youth Service Information and Communications technology (ICT) Pilot and the Zivuseni Reloaded programmes, on Monday at the Johannesburg City Hall.
He congratulated 175 learners who have since been employed in the department permanently. Another group of about 500 learners are completing their learnerships in the private sector, national and provincial government departments in October.
In collaboration with ITC giant EOH, the department has given these learners accredited training and workplace experience in end user computing, technical support and systems support.
MEC Mamabolo said work is underway to establish a departmental internal Academy of Excellence to further train artisans of different trades.
“This school will be located at our Westhoven operations near Helen Joseph Hospital, here in Johannesburg.
“Our intention is to capacitate our people so that they understand the department’s work environment,” MEC Mamabolo said.
Since the introduction of the Lutsinga Infrastructure House at head office earlier this year, the department has streamlined most of its processes. As a result, skills development and job creation initiatives have been combined so that they have a higher impact on the people of the province.
Consequently, the department has adopted a new approach to ensure that all its more than 400 construction projects support job creation.
“We have also taken 30 students from the University of Johannesburg, who needed in-service training in the built sector.
“These students came to me saying that they have been stuck and couldn’t complete their qualifications because they couldn’t do their practical learning,” MEC Mamabolo said. – SAnews.gov.za
