More than 20 companies have committed to working with the Gauteng Provincial Government to give hope to unemployed young people.
This was announced by Gauteng Premier, David Makhura who labelled it a major partnership with the corporate sector to unlock opportunities for young people.
In 2014, the Gauteng Provincial Government launched the Tshepo initiative with the intention to empower 500 000 young people through skills training, job placement and entrepreneurship development.
Due to the success of the programme so far and the enthusiastic support from the private sector, the target has now been increased to one million. The programme will now be known as Tshepo One Million.
Speaking at the breakfast meeting on youth empowerment partnerships in Sandton on 17 May, Premier Makhura encouraged the private sector to work with government to create opportunities for young people and give them hope.
“Youth unemployment is the most acute and primary economic problem of our time.
In Gauteng, we currently have about 2,7 million young people of working age who are not in education and employment. Two years after we had launched Tshepo 500 000, we reached 354 633 young people, which made us decide to increase our target to empower one million young people by 2019,” said Makhura.
Some of the major international and local companies that have committed to working with the provincial government in empowering young people include Microsoft SA, Coca-Cola, Hollard, Gijima, Shanduka Black Umbrellas, and COFESA.
On 15 June, the provincial government and 20 companies that have made commitments to empower young people will sign the partnership agreement and launch the Tshepo One Million Programme.
Several media companies present at the event also pledged to work with the government to support the Tshepo One Million programme.
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