Western Cape’s YearBeyond programme opens applications for unemployed youth

The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport has officially opened applications for the YearBeyond programme to provide opportunities for unemployed youth.

Applications opened on Monday, 6 January 2025, and will close on different dates for various streams.

According to the department, closing dates are at the end of January and the first week of February,

The department told The Citizen that “when youth apply, they will see the closing date for the relevant stream”.

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Applications requirements

Interested candidates should ensure that they can answer ‘yes’ to all the requirements listed below to apply:

• Are you between the ages of 18 – 25? This may be different for some streams.
• Do you live within a 5km radius of a programme site? See sites on programme pages.
• Do you understand that this is not an employment opportunity?
• Do you understand that you will receive a small allowance and not a monthly salary?
• Are you clear that this is just an application and that you will only be invited for an interview or assessment if you make the shortlist?
• NOTE: YearBeyond is a full-time commitment.  Your time on the programme will be full days from Monday – Friday. (This may differ for some streams)
• Do you have a profile on the SAYouth.Mobi data free website? If not, make sure you register on the site and complete your profile before applying.

‘Pathway to further studies’

According to the Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sports Ricardo Mackenzie, the programme is set to provide work experience and a pathway to further studies or work for unemployed youth.

“Youth unemployment and disillusionment is still a pressing matter that we must continuously address.

“Through the YearBeyond programme, young people who are unsure as to what their next steps are can take up an opportunity to gain a year’s practical experience, improve their CV and gain important skills which will help them to access future employment opportunities as employees or employers,” he said.

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‘Fantastic initiative’

There are various streams within the YearBeyond programme where youth can be placed.

“Some of the streams have additional qualification criteria like minimum matric marks in languages or mathematics.”

Furthermore, Premier Alan Winde urges all qualifying youths to take advantage of this “fantastic initiative” as the programme is critical in preparing youth for the job market and their future careers.

“I am very proud of YearBeyond and our Yeboneers. When I meet them, I am always astounded by the enthusiasm and dedication of these young people. This gives me hope.

“While the Western Cape’s youth unemployment is more than 10% lower than other provinces, we must keep working as hard as we can to enable young people to find jobs,” he concluded.

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