Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reaffirmed government’s commitment to scaling up training, accountability and pathways into real economic opportunities for participants in public employment programmes.
The Deputy President said this while chairing the inaugural meeting of the Public Employment Programmes Inter-Ministerial Committee (PEP-IMC) on Friday. It IMC was established to strengthen coordination, oversight and impact across the country’s public employment initiatives.
“We are pleased as the PEP-IMC that this inaugural meeting has sat today. We also reaffirm the importance of scaling up training, accountability and pathways into real economic opportunities for participants.
"We remain steadfast in ensuring that PEPs promote impactful skills development initiatives and long-term work opportunities to the participants, who are drawn from our communities,” Mashatile said.
Chaired by the Deputy President and deputised by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson, the committee brings together various Ministers overseeing the implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and related initiatives.
Held virtually, the meeting discussed measures to improve the implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and strengthen collaboration among PEPs, thereby addressing the challenges of unemployment and poverty within the South African communities.
The committee also focused on improving recruitment processes, holding public bodies accountable for performance, and ensuring that training within PEPs leads to permanent employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.
The PEP-IMC was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to enhance coordination and ensure that public employment programmes play a more strategic role in advancing social protection, and tackling unemployment and poverty across South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za
