BUSINESS AND TRAINING
41
Youth Employment
Service launched
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched the Youth Employment
Service (YES), an initiative that sets out to create one million quality work
experience opportunities for the country’s youth over the next three years.
By Sam Dubazana
It is hoped the initiative will help push back
the country’s high youth unemployment level,
estimated to be around 50%.
YES is a business-led initiative that is delivered
in partnership with government, labour, and civil
society. It targets to benefit black youth between the
ages of 18 and 35. When properly undertaken, YES
will yield significant B-BBEE points for participating
corporations. A detailed proposal of how the
B-BBEE scoring is going to work is currently out for
public comment.
Tashmia Ismail-Saville, CEO of YES, says: “YES aims
to give that portion of our youth, which are largely
overlooked by the country’s current employment
models, a crucial first chance to gain a paid work
experience of a decent quality.”
This significantly increases their chances of securing
permanent employment after the year of service. “YES
is in the process of creating a number of community
hubs at various locations in the country, which will
provide the environment and services necessary for
existing and aspiring business owners to elevate their
businesses or ideas,” says Ismail-Saville.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
YES IN PLUMBING INDUSTRY
Businesses that participate in the programme create
one-year paid positions for youth aged between
18 and 35, in addition to their current employment
numbers. Companies meeting YES work experience
opportunity targets will be eligible for Youth Employment
B-BBEE recognition and will also qualify for employment
tax incentives.
All users, plumbers, st akeholders, managers of plumbers,
and qualified plumbers have the responsibility to train youth.
They should get involved in suggestions or inputs on the
development of plumbers. Some of these include:
• The plumber employer associations have to
endorse tasks or modules to meet their members’
plumbing needs.
• The plumbing manufacturer associations have
to coordinate knowledge of component products
as well as materials of compulsory product
specifications and installation instructions.
• The local government’s water and sanitation
departments.
Sam Dubazana
The plumbing industry and the government authorities
have to work together or should form working
committees to participate. PA
August 2018 Volume 24 I Number 6