Retail, hospitality key to jobs plan for Jozi youth

File picture: Karen Sandison

File picture: Karen Sandison

Published May 23, 2015

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Johannesburg - The City of Joburg is pinning its hopes on the wholesale, retail, business services and manufacturing sectors to help it meet its ambitious youth jobs and opportunities target for next year.

The city – which is the economic hub of the country – has set itself a target of providing 200 000 youths with opportunities for jobs or to further their education.

This will be done through a Vulindlel’ eJozi programme, an initiative that will include a screening process and assessment. Opportunities for youngsters will be identified in line with their aptitude.

According to the Department of Labour, youth unemployment is a “huge challenge”, with the number out of work having increased from 3 million in 2009 to 4.4 million last year.

More than 8 million South Africans are unemployed and more than half are aged between 15 and 35, according to the department.

In Joburg, according to Census 2011, nearly a million people aged between 19 and 34 were not employed, furthering their education or receiving training.

In his state of the city address earlier this month, Joburg mayor Parks Tau emphasised the needs of the youth and those for education, job opportunities and technology.

Vulindlel’ eJozi is a response to available employment, work and learning opportunities, rather than setting out to create these.

The programme is not only intended for people aged between 18 and 34, but will target Grade 10s and Grade 12s with the aim of preventing pupils from leaving school early.

Mayoral spokeswoman Phindile Chauke said: “This project is about ensuring young people, who are unlikely to access opportunities efficiently, access the right opportunities.”

The city has also initiated the Harambee programme, working with external advisers to understand which sectors of the economy absorb the most young people.

The results showed more than 200 000 young people were employed in wholesale and retail, 159 000 in business services and 128 000 in manufacturing in Joburg last year.

“The retail and hospitality industries are currently the most absorbent. But the programme is designed to change the opportunity set available,” said Chauke.

“This includes skilling and bridging the gap across all sectors to enable candidates to meet job requirements they otherwise could not and to expand opportunity focus beyond formal employment to include micro enterprise.”

In the past four years, Harambee had found the lack of transport, social networks resulting from the levels of employment in the community, and internet access were barriers to securing employment, Chauke said.

Vulindlel’ eJozi would account for 20 percent of the city’s economically dislocated youth.

Saturday Star

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