The City of Cape Town has invested R77 million in a skills development programme in a ‘significant step’ to tackle youth unemployment and skills shortages in informal settlements.
Led by the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate, this initiative aims to empower 955 young individuals from these areas by providing them with ‘job opportunities and accredited training’, as reported by IOL.
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This forms part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) for the 2024/2025 financial year, where the City will employ the youth, aged between 18 to 35, on temporary 18-month contracts as janitors, according to a press statement issued by the City.
The Water and Sanitation Directorate’s Informal Settlements Basic Services Branch will ensure that toilets in informal settlements are ‘kept clean and well-maintained’.
The janitors will not only perform essential duties in cleaning but will also receive training in various fields that include plumbing, computer literacy, customer relations, driver’s licence and financial literacy.
With each completed module, participants will be awarded a certificate of competence, which is recognised with National Qualifications Framework (NQF) credits.
The programme targets individuals who are either directly employed by the City or working through City-appointed contractors, with the contracts requiring janitors to work six days a week.
Training sessions are scheduled during regular working hours.
‘Extending the duration of contracts from one year to 18 months, has been driven by the need to invest more into uplifting the lives of young people and the desire to position them for a brighter future,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation.
‘On this programme, not only will they be employed for longer but they will also attain certified training and relevant work experience, which gives them a competitive advantage for further job opportunities,’ he added.
In addition, the programme aims to reduce unemployment in informal settlements, bridge existing skills gaps, and provide meaningful work experience that can ‘make participants more competitive in the job market’.
Along with providing training for young participants, the initiative seeks to foster confidence, self-reliance, and social integration, while improving service delivery through ‘enhanced customer relations training’.
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Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook