Fifteen Mpumalangan businesses receive funding at jobs fair
The minister of employment and labour ended the department's service delivery roadshow at Mbombela Stadium with a career fair.
Various communities of the Nsikazi region benefitted from a jobs and careers fair combined with a handover of contracts of the Labour Activation Programme hosted by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) from March 26 to 29.
The aim of the event was to create awareness, while also drawing employers and work seekers to a singular platform that ensures mutual engagement for the youth, unemployed and underemployed to have access to both work and learning opportunities. The activities were conducted at the various venues in Zwelisha, KaNyamazane, Matsulu, KaBokweni, Pienaar and Hazyview.
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It included presentations about the application processes of the Compensation Fund, Public Employment Services, Unemployment Insurance Fund and Inspection and Enforcement Services. The attendees were also given the chance to be assisted with any of their pending applications regarding the above-mentioned processes.
On Monday, March 31, the minister of employment and labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, closed off the service delivery roadshow at the Mbombela Stadium, handing over funding to 15 businesses to assist locals in gaining work experience.
Meth said the programme will create more than 9 000 jobs in various sectors, including telecommunications, civil engineering, customer service, hospitality, agriculture, manufacturing, enterprise development, and information communication and technology.
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“This programme is our direct policy response to unemployment affording job seekers opportunities to improve their employability and connect them to the world of work. Our focus should combine skills training, work experience and job placement services to help participants transition into the labour market. We are strengthening our partnership with private sector to collaborate in creating more job opportunities and ensure training programmes are relevant to industry needs. We need every South African to believe in power of collective action,” Meth said.
The Mpumalanga MEC for economic development and tourism, Makhosazane Masilela, extended her appreciation to the DEL for accelerating job creation in the province.
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“Without a doubt, the service delivery sessions and funding will assist in supporting some of the already existing provincial interventions geared towards creating jobs for the unemployed youth. The Stainless Steel Incubator in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality trains the unemployed youth on adding value to steel by exposing them to the latest technology on steel fabrication and the manufacturing of kitchen utensils and other products. We have also established the Furniture Technology Centre in White River, providing skills to the youth who want to be involved in furniture manufacturing. To this end, this programme has assisted a sizable number of youth who later opened their own furniture businesses and created a number of jobs for our people,” Masilela said.
