Johannesburg - The Mineworkers Development Agency (MDA) says it will continue the training and development of young people and former mineworkers.
The non-governmental organisation formed by the National Union of Mineworkers said that South Africa’s unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2023 was recorded at 32.9% and was among the highest in the world.
“According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), this is an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.
“The MDA seeks to make a meaningful contribution to address the high levels of unemployment through training and development,” read an MDA statement.
The organisation said that the continuous growth and transformation of the livestock sector offered substantial opportunities for agricultural development, poverty reduction, food security gains and improved human nutrition.
“The sector can also empower rural women and youth, improve natural resource-use efficiency, and increase the resilience of households to cope with climate shocks.”
“Fifteen learners were recruited in the Greater Taung Local Municipality for NQF Level 2 training in poultry production.
“They completed 75 credits, working towards a full qualification of 120 credits. The 15 learners received full PPE, study guides, assessment guides, and simulation equipment,” added the MDA.
The NPO further pointed out that learners also received spades, wheelbarrows, feed, day-old chicks, a pan and jar, a bell, a nipple drinker, a manual drinker, a feeder, infrared bulbs and fans.
When it came to enterprise development, the MDA said 15 poultry production learners were able to establish an informal enterprise establishment through the sale of fully grown chickens to their respective communities and surrounding areas.
“The learners identified a market that has the potential for growth, as to date the sale of 47 chickens has given returns of R3 720 at a buying price of R80 per chicken. At this growth trajectory, the enterprise is expected to further grow and, within three months, will be able to generate revenue of approximately R15 000.
“The MDA Training Department envisages further assisting the newly established enterprise to formalise the business operations and identify bigger markets for growth,” said the NPO.
Meanwhile, the MDA entered into an agreement with Industries Education and Training Institute (Pty) Ltd (IETI) for the recruitment of 395 learners in construction-related trades such as bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing, tiling, plastering, painting and electrical across Gauteng, the North West, the Northern Cape, and the Western Cape in short skills programmes for a period of three months.
The MDA’s role will include recruitment, monitoring, evaluation and project oversight.
The Star