The programme was launched last year, and at least fifteen companies were selected to benefit after going through the necessary vetting. The companies offer skills to unemployed people, in various sectors including Engineering, Agriculture, Telecommunications and hospitality among others.

According to recent data by the Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Stats SA, the province sits at 34.7 percent unemployed rate which indicates a decrease from the 36,2 percent that was recorded in the third quarter of 2024.
Minister Meth stated that the program offers job-seekers a chance to enhance their employability.

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“Our aim is to equip citizens of South Africa to be people who are independent, who are skilled, can be employed or can start their own businesses. So at the end of the day, the short skills are six to nine months, the learnership is one year and the apprenticeship depending on the skills that are being provided. We will be giving the stipends in the duration of the training programs but after that, the requirement is that we must link the beneficiaries to the employers”

Minister Meth added that additional interventions from various stakeholders are necessary to facilitate growth for all job-seekers.

“We are partnering with the Department of Small Business and Development. This is because there are those who would not necessarily want employment but, of course, entrepreneurship also needs a skill. That’s why we have got another leg of empowering and capacitating them with entrepreneurship skills. For those who want to start their businesses are well equipped when they finish this program. So no one is expected to go home after this training with a certificate that won’t bring food on the table”

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Thousands of job-seekers were seen in queues awaiting to be assisted by officials from the labour department, some in possession of their curriculum vitaes and post-school qualifications. Potential employers were present to offer insights about the different sectors available for the unemployed. Luyanda Mlombo is crossing fingers that the program will change their lives.

“I am here to look for a job, we hope that whatever they called us here for is real and they are not playing games with us because many are struggling here. We hope they will be able to help us so that we can change our family situations, because some of us are not working. I completed my studies in 2022 and I have been applying for jobs with no success. I live with my grandmother and there is no one working at home”

Each company signed a pledge committing to mitigate the issues of unemployment by providing opportunities for at least 9 600 individuals to acquire skills. Bongani Makwakwa, CEO of M2 Engineering said the funds are a much-needed boost for job creation stating:

“We are so grateful to be appointed as one of the fifteen service providers in Mpumalanga. We offer training for 485 young people depending on whether they are registered with the Department of Labour. Those are the people that we’ll be working with, we will be training them for a period of 12 months to two years. We will also place them in different workplaces to be employed for a minimum of two years”.

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