MBOMBELA – Unemployment is a global crisis that needs serious attention and a majority of the people who are affected the most are young people.
The MEC of the Department of Development, Economic and Tourism, Ms Pinky Phosa encourages young people to form co-operatives and start their own businesses.
She indicated that during the Development Provincial Youth Summit that was held at Secunda which was aimed at giving young people of the province a platform to raise their problems with the government.
“We understand that lack of job opportunities is still a problem and as a government, we are not just folding our arms, we are working with different private sectors to address this problem but we are not going to win this battle overnight. As government, we are ready to assist our children, but first they must help themselves by establishing co-ops, starting their business,” she said.
Phosa went on and stated that the department has realized that most of the people who start their own businesses, don’t survive because they don’t have skills such as financial management.
“We are willing to give them skills as we have a good working relationship with other private companies so that they can be able to sustain their business and create other job opportunities.
“Another thing that they must do, they need to check the market of their business whether is it going to work in the environment that they are living in, for an example, at Ehlanzeni we are very rich with tourism and nature conservation,” she said.
As part of introducing young people in a working environment, the government has introduced internship and leadership program as Phosa went on and emphasised:
“We must bear in mind that the government doesn’t have sufficient budget to do all things at the same time, that is why we invite or work with the private sector, but surely we are moving towards a good direction with some of the private sectors that has come on board, even though we still have a long way to go.”
