#Sona2019: National Youth Service to take 50K youth a year to address unemployment
‘It is essential that we… create no fewer than two million new jobs for young people within the next decade,’ Ramahosa said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that economic growth will have little value unless it creates employment on a far greater scale, adding that government will thus expand the National Youth Service to take on 50,000 young people a year.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address in Parliament, Ramaphosa reiterated the ruling African National Congress’s concerns that youth unemployment was a national crisis.
He said that the fact that the unemployment rate among young South Africans was more than 50 percent demanded urgent, innovative and coordinated solutions.
“The brutal reality is that when it comes to youth unemployment, we have to run just to remain in the same place. It is therefore essential that we proceed without delay to implement a comprehensive plan – driven and coordinated from the Presidency – to create no fewer than two million new jobs for young people within the next decade,” Ramahosa said.
“This plan will work across government departments and all three tiers of government, in partnership with the private sector. We are already working with the private sector to create pathways into work for young people through scaling up existing pathway management networks.”
Ramaphosa said that government will continue to provide employment through the Expanded Public Works Programme, especially in labour intensive areas like maintenance, clearing vegetation, plugging water leaks and constructing roads.
“We will continue to develop programmes to ensure that economically excluded young people are work ready and absorbed into sectors where ‘jobs demand’ is growing.
“These sectors include global business processing services, agricultural value chains, technical installation, repair and maintenance and new opportunities provided through the digital economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Government will also ensure that young people are employed in social economy jobs such as early childhood development and health care. Government will support tech-enabled platforms for self-employed youth in rural areas and townships.”
Ramaphosa also said that government is going to roll out out small business incubation centres to provide youth-driven start-ups with financial and technical advice as they begin their journeys.
“We have to support the fire of entrepreneurship, because the fortunes of this country depend on the energies and creative talent of our young people,” Ramaphosa said.
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Source: African News Agency (ANA)
