Forum plugs skills gap for jobless
The young participants are excited about the next chapter of their careers.
Kwa-Thema – Four hundred young people have completed a year-long skill development programme through the Ekurhuleni Culture and Recreation Forum.
“We started the programme four years ago to uplift young people facing unemployment. We have skills development, community service and learnerships.
“We want to empower them and inspire them to be financially stable,” explained Ignition Namo, the acting chairperson of the forum.
He believes the young people who participate in the programme become more employable after completing it because of the skills they gain.
They trained the group in partnership with Africa Tikkun Services, and the Kwa-Thema Family Skills Centre played host.
“There is also a work readiness campaign we run just before the participants enter the various projects they are hired in.
“I believe we are doing everything we can to get young people jobs or prepare them for employment,” he added.
Namo said some of the young people in the programme are part-time students and use the stipend they receive to further their studies.
“Nothing warms my heart more than seeing young people committed to creating a better life for themselves,” he said.
All the available posts get posted on SA Youth Mobi.
“I would encourage all unemployed young people to register on the platform. I know accessing data online can be challenging, but people need to confirm these processes. Right now, there is no other way to apply but online,” explained Namo.
Namo is also the deputy secretary of the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) – Ekurhuleni.
“Through CCIFSA, we also ran more projects. Altogether, we hired about 4 500 young people in Ekurhuleni,” he concluded.
