Job seekers forum promote local labour use
There are more than 150 qualified job seekers that can been seen in the parking lot everyday
MORE than 1 000 job seekers have been registered with the Esisahlahleni Professionals Cooperative, a local forum established to assist unemployed workers in the engineering and logistics sector.
Concerned by the high unemployment rate, the group of unemployed Richards Bay residents identified the need for the forum, which has been engaging with businesses and identifying local projects and work opportunities to ensure that locals are given first preference for job opportunities in the area.
The co-operative has been operational for many years, but recently sought to register their organsation to ensure proper representation at businesses and corporates.
With no offices or even a laptop, the members meet in the parking lot behind the Bay Centre in Richards Bay and have their database recorded manually into exercise books.
Speaking to the organisation’s secretary Sean Ngxokela on Tuesday, he said unemployment is high.
‘There are more than 150 qualified job seekers that can been seen in the parking lot everyday.
‘We have safety officers (14), welders (150), argon welders (55), riggers (25), trade tested boilermakers (37), semi-skilled artisans(165) and more than 500 general workers on our database – and the numbers keep increasing.
‘As a forum, we have been in discussions with local businesses as well as those companies who are awarded tenders in our area,’ said Ngxolela.
‘We have had successes and businesses are using people from our database. Last year we made an agreement with a Durban-based company who was awarded a tender for a project in Richards Bay and about 45 local people were employed.
‘We are not a labour broker and do not collect CVs, we only provide the businesses with details of the job seekers.
‘Our forum is not involved in the interview or the employment process and we do not charge or receive any payments from the companies or those who receive employment.
‘We have met with the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone, City of uMhlathuze and other businesses and encouraged them to use people from our database.
‘Currently we do not have an office, but we would like to appeal for sponsorship of an office space to share and a laptop or computer so we can compile our database electronically,’ said Ngxokela.
The forum has urged local companies and small, medium and micro enterprises to make contact with them by contacting Sean on 072 4671820, Bongani on 073 6138514 or Thokozani on 063 3094005
