President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to bolstering the country’s investment drive and reducing red tape that stifles corporate growth and job creation.
Along with these steps, President Ramaphosa stated that his government is leveraging the state’s power to react to young people’s immediate needs.
The President delivered the keynote message at the Mthatha Youth Day commemorations on Thursday, with the subject “Promoting sustainable livelihood and resilience of young people for a brighter tomorrow.”
This year commemorates 45 years since school students protested the compulsory use of Afrikaans as a language of instruction and the apartheid government’s brutal response.
The President stated that the administration remains focused on expanding the economy and generating employment while the country recovers from the pandemic.
“Now more than ever, we need young people to rally together to confront and overcome the massive challenges facing our country.
“The fact that millions of young people are not in employment, education or training is the greatest challenge facing our country today,” he said.
The impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic, the July 2021 unrest, and the terrible floods in KwaZulu-Natal, North West, and here in the Eastern Cape, according to President Ramaphosa, have recently reinforced the apartheid legacy of poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
He stated that the administration would continue to focus on broad economic reforms and establishing favorable circumstances for business development across the country.
Presidential Youth Employment Intervention
“It is for this reason that we announced the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, which is a comprehensive response to the youth unemployment challenge.
“We have also launched the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which supports public and social employment, and which has created close to 880 000 job opportunities since it was established,” he said.
The school assistants program, which has put 287 000 young people in schools across the country, is a hallmark effort of the employment stimulus.
According to the statesman, these young people are able to find meaningful work while while aiding teachers and contributing to great educational achievements.
The Social Employment Fund is the most recent initiative to be created as part of the employment boost.
In the areas of community safety, food and nutrition, digital inclusion, and sports, arts, and leisure, the initiative has begun to recruit 50 000 participants.
“We have just launched a new dashboard for the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention on the State of the Nation website. Members of the public are now able to track detailed progress with implementation and receive up-to-date information about the intervention,” the President said.
Over 2.9 million individuals have joined up for the government’s National Pathway Management Network, which connects young people to possibilities for earning, learning, and assistance.
The President encouraged young people to join the network by visiting SAYouth.mobi, a data-free online platform available on all mobile networks.
Since its inception, SA Youth has helped over 600,000 young people find work and offered support to many more, including as interview preparation, job search, and entrepreneurship training.
Taking down the obstacles to entering the public sector
The President stated that the government is cutting the cost and hassle of applying for posts as part of the administration’s resolve to reduce the hurdles that young people face when attempting to enter the public service.
“Applicants for public-sector jobs, for example, are no longer needed to produce certified copies of their educational credentials and other necessary papers.”
“This modest modification will considerably lower the cost of applying, increase response times, and relieve departmental administrative burdens,” he added.
New programs will be released in the near future.
The President said at the start of next month that the government will launch the Future of Work Ambassadors initiative.
The goal of this initiative is to improve and modernize the recruitment and retention of youngsters in the public sector.
“We’re looking for new and imaginative methods to connect learning with income.” The National Skills Fund, for example, is a leader in the pay-for-performance abilities development paradigm, which will result in 8 000 employment possibilities for young people with digital skills,” he stated.
In addition, President Ramaphosa announced the relaunch of the National Youth Service.
Youth service may help to foster civic duty, a sense of community, growth, and nation-building.
“This is a committed generation that recognizes the need in our country and want to help those in need.”
“They have a lot of work to do in public schools, in addressing social issues like alcohol and substance addiction, and gender-based violence, and in strengthening social solidarity in their communities,” the President remarked.
The President stated that the government looks to the National Youth Service to instill work habits, the importance of community service, and a sense of civic responsibility in young people.
Young people interested in joining the National Youth Service should register at SAYouth.mobi and establish a profile.
President Ramaphosa also mentioned the Youth Employment Service (YES), which is another major project that has made significant progress in the past year.
YES has produced almost 82 000 quality job opportunities for young South Africans via collaborations with the commercial sector.
He claims that wages alone have poured almost R4.6 billion into the economy.
“Corporate partners use the Kids Employment Service to develop their own workforces by providing youth with job experience in future sectors.
“These industries include digital, drones, green economy, urban farming, mining, global business services, creative industries, and many others,” he explained.
The President praised South Africa’s young people for having a strong entrepreneurial spirit and vitality. He stated that the goal is to assist people in realizing their full potential.
“For example, the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition is establishing a fund to provide an enabling environment for young people to participate in entrepreneurial and self-employment activities.
The President stated, “We will continue to help young entrepreneurs with the cash and networks they need to establish their start-up firms.”
The National Youth Development Agency and the Department of Small Business Development provided financial and other enterprise help to 7500 young people in the previous financial year, while over 30 000 young people got other enterprise support.
“At this critical juncture in our country’s history, we want visionary young people who are unified and committed to improving our neighborhoods and strengthening our economy.”
He stated, “We need young people who have identified their generational destiny and are committed to never betray it.”
The President urged young people to take the lead in creating a more compassionate society, one that values the dignity of those with disabilities.
He stated that the administration is concerned about the rising number of young people who are depressed and commit suicide.
President Ramaphosa stated that the government is dedicated to improve the lives of South African youth and urged the corporate sector to provide more possibilities for them.