Pretoria – Cabinet says concrete strategies, which will see President Jacob Zuma and various ministers constantly collaborating with the youth to make job creation a reality, were adopted at the Presidential Youth Indaba.
This is according to the Acting Cabinet spokesperson, Phumla Williams, who briefed media in Cape Town on Tuesday, following Cabinet’s ordinary meeting.
The inaugural Youth Indaba, which was held in Ekurhuleni last week, gave effect to the Youth Employment Accord that was signed in April 2013 by government, business and labour.
The Accord is a framework for youth employment and makes several commitments to improve education and skilling of young people, and helping them to find jobs and start their businesses.
In it, government also commits to increase the number of people employed in the public sector, while certain industries are to set youth development targets.
Williams said at least 500 young people from all provinces attended as well as various ministers who participated in panel discussions to brief young people on government programmes for youth employment.
In his address to the Indaba, President Zuma said that the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) was continuing to run its successful National Senior Certificate (NSC) Second Chance Matric Rewrite Programme. The programme affords young people who have failed matric, a second chance to obtain their National Senior Certificate.
To date, more than 8 000 young people have been assisted to rewrite their matric with the 2013 results indicating a 78% pass rate.
Government is also building 12 new FET campuses across the country, mostly in rural areas.
At the summit, the youth called for improved internship programmes in the state and the private sector.
Williams added that Cabinet has reiterated President Jacob Zuma’s call for government, business and labour to work together to grow the economy at a rate that is able to create more jobs.
“President Zuma’s State of the Nation Address and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s Budget Speech had laid the foundation for intensified implementation of the National Development Plan over the next term of the new administration.
“The 21st National Budget of this democratic dispensation indeed tells a good story of how we are transforming the country and advancing against the key challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment – and, importantly, doing so within our finite resources,” said Williams. – SAnews.gov.za
