Government through Nedlac is to lead a process of amending a number of labour laws – to ensure that these laws respond to job creation, said Employment and Labour Minister T.W Nxesi.

He said the government was also targeting several areas to create jobs in sectors such as energy generation, renewable energy, digitisation/information technology and infrastructure roll-out projects. He said a key component of job creation will be the launch of a number of training projects geared towards entrepreneurial development and skills development. 

“Let us wait for the Finance Minister to deliver his budget speech and we will announce a number of these projects thereafter," Nxesi said.

The Minister was speaking today during the official launch of the National Pathway Management Network (NPMN) Services Centre in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal. The Centre was launched by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) in a joint partnership with the Municipal City of UMhhlathuze.

The NPMN Services Centre will:

• Ensure access to young people in skills training and educational system reforms, that address challenges on the supply side of the labour market.
• To deliver on entrepreneurship support, that promotes growth in self-employment growth in self-employment and in turn job creation
• To avail employment services that address intermediation challenges. These challenges might include providing better information to work seekers and actively connecting work seekers with employers.
• Direct job creation through public employment and/or incentive to promote growth in jobs or the employment of vulnerable groups.

The launch was held under the theme: Connect, Learn and Empower.

NYDA Chief Executive Waseem Carrim said the growing youth unemployment has been bothering in the country. Carrim said young people do not enjoy standing in the queues to earn grants. He said grants take away from young people the responsibility to work.

Carrim said the NYDA has a number of programmes (online, telephonic and in-person services) and these need to be accessed by the youth. He said the NYDA will today present 80 work opportunities to demonstrate the organisation's intent.

The National Pathway Management Network is a 'network of networks', connecting all existing networks serving unemployed young people. The NPMN creates and aggregates learning and earning opportunities and creates a single entry point for unemployed youth to view and access opportunities in the economy, as well as a range of support services. It addresses barriers young people face and provides them with active support to enable pathways into the labour market.

The Department of Employment and Labour leads in the establishment of the NPMN. The President officially launched the NPMN in his State of the Nation Address in February 2021. The National Pathway Management Network is a component of The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI), one of South Africa's most comprehensive efforts to address the youth unemployment crisis.

The Department is working in close partnership with the Presidency, the National Youth Development Agency various organisations, development partners, the private sector and various departments to address youth unemployment. The network also links with several other government departments and entities, civil society, development partners, and the private sector

The Empangeni NPMN Services Centre has been identified as one of the pilot sites for the NPMN to ensure that young people will have access to national networks, and provide them with opportunities for sustainable employment and income generation outcomes.

This will include young people being able to access self-employment opportunities, become increasingly engaged with training and their communities, access practical resources and increase their skills.

Meanwhile, the City of uMhlathuze announced at the launch plans to build an R60-million business centre in the region to help train emerging entrepreneurs.

For more information, contact:

Teboho Thejane

Departmental Spokesperson

082 697 0694 

Teboho.Thejane@labour.gov.za​

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