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Expanded Public Works Programme

Gauteng job opportunities by financial year end

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:41

Job opportunities are a highly sought after commodity in the economic hub of South Africa, but newly appointed MEC for Infrastructure Development, Bheki Nkosi, has a plan to get more people on board the job train.

During his first quarterly media briefing as the MEC for Infrastructure Development, Nkosi announced the province would create around 150 000 job opportunities by the end of this financial year through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

Nkosi, who was previously with the Roads and Transport Department, said opportunities would be created across all the provincial departments and municipalities.

The MEC said through the EPWP and the National Youth Service, his department would assist the provincial government’s efforts to ease the burden of unemployment by providing the necessary skills to the communities where EPWP projects were running.

Nkosi added that concerted efforts were being made to reach out to organisations representing people with disabilities to incorporate them in all the departmental programmes.

Explanation of Expanded Public Works Programmes

"The legacy of the past has resulted in a large proportion of our population not yet having the skills or opportunities to effectively participate in South Africa’s economy and earn a living. The EPWP is one of government’s initiatives to bridge the gap between the growing economy and the large numbers of unskilled and unemployed people who have yet to fully enjoy the benefits of economic development.

The EPWP involves creating temporary work opportunities for the unemployed, using public sector expenditure. It builds on existing best-practice government infrastructure and social programmes either by deepening their labour absorption or extending them.

Given that most of the unemployed are unskilled, the emphasis is on relatively unskilled work opportunities. All of the work opportunities generated by the EPWP are therefore combined with training, education or skills development, with the aim of increasing the ability of people to earn an income once they leave the programme."

Information on expanded public works programmes from website:www.epwp.gov.za

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