City of Ekurhuleni empowers youth at economic summit
Based at Alberton library she started her second run of the training in October.
City of Ekurhuleni hosted the Ekurhuleni Youth Economic Summit on June 20 at the Germiston Community Hall.
Securing a grant from the National Treasury, the city’s Economic Development Department implemented the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) through the Ekurhuleni Public Employment Programme (EPEP).
This initiative was established to counter the severe impact of the Covid pandemic on jobs and livelihoods.
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The EPEP aims to protect jobs, support meaningful work, and aid the labour market’s recovery.
The summit connected EPEP beneficiaries with potential employers, including private sector stakeholders like banks, who set up stalls for interaction.
“Over 2 500 EPEP applicants attended the event and received certificates for completing the programme.
“These beneficiaries can now upload their profiles to institutional portals for prospective employment opportunities,” said Ald Nomadlozi Nkosi, MMC for Developmental Planning and Real Estate.
“The stimulus aims to protect vulnerable job sectors by providing grants and awards through various programmes.
“Since 2021/22, the city has recruited over 6 900 candidates from the programme, with grant allocations exceeding R320m through the Neighbourhood Development Programme Grant (NDPG),” Nkosi added.
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Mahlatsi Makanete, a programme beneficiary, shared her experience, noting that this was her second time participating.
“My training started in October, and I worked in the library department. I learned to carry the Batho Pele principles and put people first,” Makanete said.
Makanete also advised young people to regularly check for vacancies on the city’s website and visit their nearest libraries for assistance if they lack internet access.
