Government driving jobs for the youth: How to access the PYEI employment pathway

Efforts to bridge the gaps between job seekers and employers is gaining momentum.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli on Wednesday presented the successes registered by the various youth employment initiatives during the final quarter of 2024.

Under the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) banner, multiple government entities have forged private partnerships to create pathways for the unemployed youth.

National Pathway Management Network

The PYEI portal states that at the beginning on the quarter in question, 43% of those under 35 were either unemployed or not engaged in a means to improve their skills or education.

By registering unemployed young people in the National Pathway Management Network (NPMN), PYEI programmes transition job seekers from “learning to earning”.

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Through Sector Education Training Authorities (Seta), the government identifies sectors with gaps in skills and demand, leading to targeted skills development and opportunities.

Roughly 4.5 million young people have accessed the NPNM through the free SAyouth.mobi site, with a third of those receiving an employment opportunity through one of the various programmes.

“We have over 53 000 earning opportunities secured through NPNM [between October and November], bringing a total of 1.57 million opportunities since the inception of the programme,” said Mhlauli.

Five sectors targeted

The PYEI is entering its fifth year and has established private partnerships in five labour-centric sectors: agriculture, automotive, social services, digital technology, and repair work.

The Employment Service of South Africa facilitated 14 500 job placements between October and December, while the Youth Employment Services facilitated 10 000 new workers.

The NYDA and Small Business Dev assisted 14 000 youth entrepreneurs with financial and non-financial opportunities.

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Additionally, the National Youth Development Agency and Department of Small Business Development assisted 14 600 young entrepreneurs with financial and non-financial support.

“The Revitalised National Youth Service (NYS) Phase 3 was successfully launched, with 13 568 new recruits, adding to a total of 82 378 youth placed in service opportunities,” Mhlauli stated.

R300 million for jobs

A R300 million Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund (JBOF) was launched in 2023 to amplify the work of the PYEI.

“To date, 3 347 young people have been enrolled in training programmes, 1 603 young people have been placed in jobs, and 1 247 young people have sustained employment for three months,” explained Mhlauli.

The JBOF focuses on the excluded youth under 35, although preference is given to under 25s who attended quintile 3 schools or under.

University graduates are excluded from JBOF opportunities and potential candidates must have been the beneficiary of a child support grant.

Registering on the SAyouth.mobi site is the first step toward finding a PYEI opportunity or employment from the associated programmes.

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