Under the leadership of Brian Radebe’s Ward 94 committee portfolio, at least 200 jobseekers have successfully secured employment through the Ekurhuleni Recruitment Drive and Work readiness Sessions.
Since the ward committee portfolio’s election on November 29, 2016, it has committed to uplifting the community and curbing youth unemployment.
On November 13, 2018, it initiated and held its first Ekurhuleni Recruitment Drive and Work Readiness Session. To date, they have successfully held over 20 sessions which have received a lot of attendance from both young and old in the community.
According to Brian Radebe, the objective of these sessions is to create platforms for entrepreneurial and employment opportunities.
“Through our sessions we create awareness and exposure, and we empower and educate attendees. The success so far of these sessions is the fair and transparent appointment of community liaison officers and just over 14 blue-collar workers for two projects in our ward,” he said.
They hold their monthly sessions at the Alberton Customer Care Centre with a focus to prepare jobseekers for employment.
“The sessions we freely offer are two fold, and we take our beneficiaries on a three-month session. We come together once a month and two days in that month. There, we help prepare attendees for interviews, explaining to them the entire recruitment process while working with other stakeholders to assist them,” said Radebe.
Job creation
Radebe told the RECORD that the success of the initiative is made possible with the partnership of various stakeholders and organisations.
These include Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Retail Consultant Felix Sithole, and the Department of Labour, Department of Social Development, among others.
“At the Alberton Customer Care Centre’s reception area, there’s a box used by Harambee where jobseekers can place their résumés. “It is then emptied once a month and résumés of applicants from ages 18 to 35 are looked into, applicants are then considered in any opportunities that become available,” said Radebe.
He also said the Department of Labour has noted that it is running short of résumés to consider job seekers in any opportunities that become available.
He advised job seekers to hand in their résumés at the Alberton Customer Care Centre’s reception area in order for them to be captured by the department.
Successes
The initiatives’ beneficiary, Jeanette Mogapi, who now owns her construction company and also works as a site administrator, shared her testimonial.
“I went through all the training sessions which I attended for a few months and I gained much experience in terms of the working industry. I was then assisted to also apply for a job post and I’m now working, thanks to the initiative,” she said.
