The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) has signed an agreement that will provide built industry skills and practical training opportunities to youth in Soweto, Johannesburg.
Through the initiative 2 900 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) beneficiaries who were unable to participate in the economy due to their lack of skills, will be afforded another opportunity to “go back to class”. According to DID MEC Jacob Mamabolo the programme, which came about as a result of partnership between the DID, the Department of Higher Education and Training and the University of Johannesburg, was recently piloted by training 50 beneficiaries in different trades including electrical, painting, plumbing and tiling among others.Empowerment through upskilling
“These skills make them attractive to the labour market and allows them to start their own business,” Mamabolo said. During the pilot, beneficiaries were put to the test when they were deployed to five schools where they renovated school toilets that were in a state of disrepair. Under the guidance of DID’s artisans and UJ’s Resolution Circle professionals, the beneficiaries repaired toilets, drainage systems and plumbing issues at the schools.
“We came to realise and appreciate that releasing EPWP beneficiaries without any recognised skills will be to return them back to poverty, back to difficult and worse conditions of life. We felt terminating them without proper training is not helping the current situation of youth unemployment in our Province,” said Mamabolo.
