EAST LONDON - Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle, will lead the inaugural pass-out from the recently launched Provincial Youth-in-Infrastructure Development Programme Makanda (Grahamstown) on Thursday.
Three hundred and ninety five trainees will be certified as Facilities Managers prior to receiving letters of placement at schools across the Eastern Cape Province.
The programme, conducted jointly with the South Africa National Defence Force and the King Sabata Dalindyebo TVET College, is targeting youth without matric.
According to provincial government spokesperson Sonwabo Mbananga, the programme is in line with the Provincial Youth Development Strategy and is targeting to reach about five thousand youth over a period of five years for training and placement in schools and clinics, as well as hospitals.
“This is part of the strategy to protect the public investment in infrastructure development currently underway in the Eastern Cape. As many as 20,000 youth are estimated to be lost to the schooling system annually,” said Mbanaga.
Mbananga said it is the stated objective of the provincial government to give particular attention to this segment of the youth demographic in the Eastern Cape.
“The training programme also allows for previously unskilled youths entry into the employment market through skilling and seeks to provide relief against poverty, with placed graduates to receive a monthly stipend of R2,000,” he added.
Through cross-sector and targeted partnerships the Provincial Youth Development Strategy also seeks to create a skills transfer drive in key strategic sectors towards economic growth and development.