Pretoria – Government says its Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) continues to make steady progress in creating work opportunities and is on course to meet its five-year target.
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini on Tuesday briefed the media as chair of the Social Protection, Community and Human Development Cluster. The various clusters of government hold briefings after the President delivers the State of the Nation Address to further flesh out progress made in government’s Programme of Action.
The EPWP is one of several interventions government makes to create work opportunities and break the cycle of unemployment and poverty.
Minister Dlamini on Tuesday said since the inception of the EPWP Phase 3 in the Eastern Cape in April 2014, about 1.5 million work opportunities have been created against a set target of six million work opportunities by 2019.
The EPWP has maintained over 40 000km of provincial access roads and serviced 595 schools through food production gardens operating within the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
“In order to assist with the rollout of the various EPWP training programmes, the EPWP has partnered with the Agricultural Sector Education and Training Authority, the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority as well as the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority to train 3 922 EPWP participants by 31 March 2016,” the Minister said.
Through the Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) programme of the EPWP Non-State Sector (NSS), the Department of Public Works has continued to work with civil society organisations that create work opportunities for the poor and unemployed.
Three hundred NPOs will be contracted to implement the NSS programme on behalf of government across all provinces in 2016/17.
“We hope that we can continue working together on the critical issues of social protection, community and human development.
“We must work together to encourage creative methods to meet the needs of citizens that have made our country a great place to live,” the Minister said. - SAnews.gov.za
