To support efforts that address joblessness in SA, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has established a database for unemployed youth, professionals and artisans across the country.
The South African economy is in the doldrums, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, with unemployment, especially among youth, at an all-time high. According to latest figures from Stats SA, the official unemployment rate increased by a percentage point to 30.1% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.
During the COVID-19-induced lockdown, government has had to step up financial support through a R350 social relief grant, which will be paid monthly to unemployed persons until October.
In a statement, the DPWI says the database, which is district development model-based, will be used to capture and store information on the unemployed individuals, to establish the country’s available capacity to deliver on integrated infrastructure projects in the specific areas.
“The DPWI unemployed database is aimed at supporting government’s infrastructure priorities for economic growth beyond COVID-19. The database will be used in different projects by prioritising available registered people in that district where the project is being implemented.
“Preference will be given to females of all races. Registration on the database is online on the DPWI Web site and will be continuous without a closing date,” says DPWI spokesperson Thami Mchunu.
The department explains that the district model was launched by president Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019, and is aimed at accelerating, aligning and integrating service delivery under a single development plan.
According to Mchunu, the database will be per district or metro that is developed jointly by national, provincial and local government, as well as business, labour and the community in each district.
He goes on to say the development approach ensures that planning and spending across the three spheres of government is integrated and aligned, and that each district or metro plan is developed with the interests and input of communities taken into account upfront.
During the active stages of the infrastructure strategic projects, those recruited from the unemployed youth database will also get on-the-job training opportunities, including the Work Integrated Learning Programme for National Accredited Technical Education Diploma students and university of technology students, who require experiential training to obtain their qualification.
It will also include graduate internship to expose graduates to work experience to strengthen employment opportunities, trade certification for construction trades and candidacy programmes towards built environment professional registration, among others.
“Qualified professionals and artisans will be registered for job opportunities within the infrastructure strategic projects,” notes Mchunu.
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