Municipality to bring youth and industry together
The primary goal of the summit is to 'ignite the region's economic potential'.
Municipality to bring youth and industry together –
Newcastle Municipality is preparing for what could be the largest youth summit this week, bringing together industry captains and the youth of Northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The Job and Youth Summit takes place at the Osizweni Community Hall on Friday (June 17), from 08:00.
Newcastle is set to take centre stage once more this Youth Month, as it prepares to host key economic drivers who have partnered with the municipality, in an effort to play a critical role in revitalising and stimulating the town’s economy,” said municipal Head of Communications, Mlungisi Khumalo.
He explained the primary goal of the summit is to ‘ignite the region’s economic potential’ by exploring more business opportunities for the youth of Newcastle and surrounding areas. The summit, envisioned as an annual event, was first outlined in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
Khumalo stated that the Mayor of Newcastle, Xolani Dube and his team have pledged to a multi-faceted approach addressing the country’s youth unemployment statistics.
Cllr Dube awarded hundreds of study bursaries to learners who applied to institutions of higher learning at the start of the year. Last month, we hosted the largest Youth Career Expo in NKZN.”
The expo and the summit form part of the Council’s approach to addressing social ills affecting young people in NKZN. Cllr Dube has further reiterated his plea to the country’s industry leaders, indicating that Newcastle is indeed ‘open for business’.
The municipality has also committed to creating favourable conditions and removing barriers previously preventing entrepreneurs from doing business in town.
Our immediate tasks are to steer the youth toward potential careers in the orange economy sector, promote dialogue between the youth and key economic drivers, and establish a hub for the youth to obtain competitive job market skills.
Khumalo said that while the Covid-19 pandemic had created a harsh environment for the youth, it had also prompted the municipality to seek other job opportunities for young people outside of the employment norm.
In addition, consultations with technology and cell phone titans are said to have reached a point where plans to establish hubs within the community will be announced in due course. The mayor is also expected to make announcements on the municipality’s efforts to establish a university in Newcastle.
The municipality is also looking into hosting dialogue with successful farmers, to encourage young people to pursue careers in agriculture.
The summit will also provide us with a clear picture of the numerous obstacles and red tape preventing our youth from establishing successful businesses.”
For details on the summit, contact Khumalo on 074 535 9794 or the Mayor’s Office Manager, Malusi Ndima on 083 429 4583.
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