The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, is set to launch the Groen Sebenza Jobs Fund Project, spearheaded by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), at the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens this Saturday, 8 June 2013.

According to the Department f Environmental Affairs, the event will mark the roll-out of “the pioneering pilot project aimed at developing skills and bridging the gap between education and job opportunitiesin the biodiversity sector.” The launch coincides with both the celebrations of Environment and Youth Month (June) in South Africa and takes place on Saturday, 08 June 2013. The launch date is pertinent as it highlights the contribution Groen Sebenza will make towards job creation for the youth and towards the development of healthy ecosystems in the country. This year’s theme for WED, as set by the United Nations, is “Think. Eat. Save” and the department has also adopted this theme for Environment Month.

Groen Sebenza involves the placement of 800 unemployed youth in skilled jobs across public and private institutions in the local biodiversity sector for a period of two and a half years. The project focuses on training, mentoring and experiential learning with the objective of building a pool of young and capable professionals for South Africa’s biodiversity sector, which will lead to further job creation in the green economy. The project is executed in partnership with 33 organisations from all spheres of government, the private- and NGO sectors.

Groen Sebenza ultimately represents an ‘incubator’ or coordinated skills development scheme across agencies. It brings to life the goal of “matching unemployed workers with jobs”, as set out in the National Development Plan Vision 2030.