The Youth Employment Service (YES) will improve young people’s prospects of finding employment and would help to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy according to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa spoke at the launch of the Youth Employment Service, an initiative between business, government, labour, civil society and young people, at the Riverside Incubation Hub in Fourways, Johannesburg.
What You Need To Know About the Youth Employment Service:
1. Under the programme, businesses will create one-year paid positions for youth aged between 18 and 35 with a minimum paid stipend of R3,500 a month.
2. Those businesses which do not have the capacity to place more people in their organisations have the option of sponsoring the salary for a one-year placement in small and medium enterprises or to help young people start and grow their own businesses through seed funding.
3. According to Ramaphosa, the Youth Employment Service was a timely, worthy and ambitious response to youth unemployment in the country. He believes the issue was perhaps the greatest and most pressing social and economic challenge facing South Africa at this moment in history.
4. Companies who have come forward to provide work experience opportunities to the first 100 YES participants, include Unilever, Sasol, Investec, ABSA, and Netcare.
5. Ramaphosa said during his State of the Nation Address last month that his administration would place the needs of and opportunities for young people at the centre of inclusive economic growth.
6. South Africa has an unemployment rate of around 27 percent, and the majority of the jobless are young people. The YES initiative is a partnership, led by Ramaphosa, between government, business, labour and civil society.
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Twitter Reacts:
Ramaphosa is addressing the first 100 youth that have been selected to be part or the #YouthEmploymentService
He says don’t sit in a corner and feel sorry for yourself. There is opportunity for you. #eNCA #YES— Heidi Giokos (@Heidigiokos) March 27, 2018
Mr Pres, @CyrilRamaphosa government should make a plan to give early retirement benefits to all public servants over the age of 50 years. This will open more opportunities for the youth. #YES #YouthEmploymentService
— Mbali (@Andi_Mbali) March 27, 2018
Youth Unemployment Rate:
51% of youth aged 18-24
33% of youth aged 25-34
55% Overall youth unemployment
THIS THE REALITY EMPLOYERS MUST HELP DEAL WITH#YouthEmploymentService— Ndzavi Derrick | CBA (@NdzaviDerrick) March 27, 2018
People must stop being in denial and alaways criticizing.
The man just became President a month ago but he is doing something.
This programme will help to reduce the uneployment and acquire youth with skills. pic.twitter.com/Nc5ATcObXB
— #GainWithTravisひ🇰🇪 (@Travis_ZA) March 27, 2018
so this #YouthEmploymentService Programme Ramaphosa is talking about is basically the same old internship programme. pic.twitter.com/SruJIl175y
— Londa Pacman Zondi (@zondi08) March 27, 2018
When #youthemploymentservice is being launched during graduation week!!!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!#YES!!! pic.twitter.com/hkMxAOgz16
— Student Directory (@_StudentDirect) March 27, 2018
– African News Agency (ANA)/ TYI