Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) participants are getting more than just an opportunity to be gainfully employed.
The Department of Public Works -- the custodian of the EPWP -- has partnered with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) to deliver basic financial literacy education to the participants of the programme.
The purpose of these workshops is to provide, promote and support financial education, awareness and confidence regarding financial products in order to enable EPWP participants to make well informed financial choices to ultimately better their livelihoods.
Public Works is set to achieve its 2018/19 target of training a total of 5 000 EPWP participants in basic financial literacy.
The department has since June 2018 to date (quarter 2, 2018/19 financial year) trained a total of 3 844 participants in this intervention.
“This one-day training is aimed at assisting EPWP participants to use their hard earned wages wisely,” said the Deputy Director General (DDG) of the EPWP, Stanley Henderson.
Although the training is not accredited, it remains critical for participants because it provides them with valuable information on financial products like insurance and investments policies.
The training also capacitates them to save money, draw up a budget to avoid plunging themselves into debt and it also enforces a culture of saving.
The training is facilitated by EPWP officials, who have undergone the Train-the-Trainer course by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).
EPWP is one of government’s medium- to long-term strategies to reduce unemployment and alleviate poverty through the creation of work opportunities using labour-intensive methods.
It is implemented in four sectors namely infrastructure, social, environment & culture and non-State. All spheres of government and State-owned entities are expected to implement the programme.
EPWP participants work in different projects such as the Community Work Programme (CWP), Early Childhood Development programmes, home/community based care programmes, extra school support programmes, Working on Fire, Working for Water and roads maintenance projects, among others.
Through various skills and training that the participants receive from the EPWP, they stand a better chance to enter the formal job market and/or become entrepreneurs. – SAnews.gov.za
