Efforts to curb unemployment

A MASSIVE training of unemployed to transition into employment is set to roll-out nationally. This was announced by Minister of Employment and Labour Thulasi Nxesi.

Also read: Employers advised not to miss the employment-equity reports deadline

Nxesi said the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Labour Activation Programme (LAP) is to provide training for employment and entrepreneurship programmes is up-and-running and is set to be rolled-out in other provinces. 

Addressing an employer’s breakfast session recently, he said South Africa finds itself in the throes of an ever changing technological era and this calls for adaptation. 

This comes a week after Nxesi  announced that the Department of Employment and Labour through the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s LAP has launched a R23.8-billion programme to fund the training for employment and entrepreneurship programme.

Also read: Dunlop’s fitment-centre-in-a-container project the key to employment in rural areas

“We are living in a technological era. This massive training will now need to be implemented on a large scale to multi-skill the unemployed, so as to adapt to the ever-changing world of technology,” Nxesi said. 

The Minister said that the crime ravaging the country was threatening its stability and noted that the government needed to partner with the private sector to counter the threat. He said the government was intent to help business, especially small enterprises as the “big employer is small business”. He appealed for partnerships at district level to ensure integrated interventions as part of the District Development Model.

He said that it was unacceptable that Gauteng as the country’s economic hub had a high unemployment rate and this situation could be even worse in other provinces. 

A number of service providers were handed their certificates confirming their participation in the training to employ programme and entrepreneurship development.

Also read: Menstrual leave: Are companies finally considering period equity for female employees?

Small Business Development Minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrams reiterated the role of partnerships. She said the National Development Plan (NDP) envisioned the creation of 11 million new jobs by 2030 and that most of these should come from small businesses.

“The only way to make South Africa work is to grow small businesses . We have to also look at developing new industries. We are continuously advocating for more incentives to be given to business, especially those geared towards promoting small business,” she also said the informal businesses also needed to be supported to transition to formal business,” she said.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.