By Libuseng Nyaka
QWAQWA – ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has urged both the public and private sectors to stop placing emphasis on work experience as one of the requirements for jobs but allow young people to learn on the job.
Ramaphosa said this during his January 8 celebration of 111 anniversary of ANC at Dr Molemela stadium, last Sunday.
“ Millions of young South Africans are not in employment, education or training. Government must continue to prioritize the employment of young people in all our efforts. This year we must expand all initiatives that provide work experience for young people; and offer support, finance and market opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
“We need to link the provision of grants to pathways into work, self-employment, training and other forms of economic development. There needs to be greater integration between social grant data systems and platforms like SAYouth.mobi,” Ramaphosa said while addressing the issue of unemployment among youth.
He also encouraged young people to enrol into TVET colleges.
“Despite a significantly higher level of enrolment in basic education, many young people still drop out before writing matric. Government must initiate processes that will address this problem. It must also increase the cohort of black skilled people to meet the demand which will arise because of the economic recovery process. This means more focus on training in artisanal, vocational and technical skills, and encourage greater enrolment in colleges. TVET Colleges must have modern and up to date equipment on which students will train and acquire relevant skills.”
On economic reconstruction and recovery to create jobs, Ramaphosa said the task of ensuring that all South Africans share in the country’s wealth is far from complete.
“The country’s unequal distribution of wealth and income is still largely characterized by the racial, spatial and gender demographics of our colonial and apartheid past. The task of broad-based black economic empowerment should be undertaken with greater intensity and purpose. We must use competition policy, preferential procurement and other instruments to address highly concentrated ownership patterns.
“There is vast untapped potential for inclusive growth and employment creation in SMMEs, cooperatives and informal businesses. Our conference called on government to remove the regulatory constraints on SMMEs and to support micro enterprises and co-operatives in the township and rural economies through the creation of trading spaces and industrial parks; access to value-chains and finance for small and independent retailers and wholesalers; the provision of roads, digital connectivity and other economic infrastructure.”
