Work and Skills Programme

Background

The Work and Skills Programme facilitates experiential learning and work placement opportunities for unemployed youth in the Western Cape’s high job-yielding, priority economic sectors aligned to the department's strategy, to improve the future employment prospects of participants, between the ages of 18 - 35 years. This 4 to 12 month placement opportunity combines technical and soft skills training in the context of “hands-on” work experience.

Objective

The most challenging long-term priority for the economy, is a better educated and more skilled workforce. The Work and Skills Programme, which is demand-led, aims to improve the employability of participants through incentivised workplace experience. The programme is aimed at improving the quality and supply of labour through work-related training for unemployed youth.

Stakeholders

We partner with various stakeholders such as Industry, TVET Institutions, NGOs, Sector Development Agencies and Provincial Departments.

Criteria for host companies

To be considered to participate in the Work & Skills Programme, companies need to:

• Be registered entities;
• Provide written commitment to provide employment to beneficiaries after the experiential placement period;
• Be able to provide a monthly co-payment of R500,00 (minimum) to the Learner, which shall be in addition to the Stipend. DEDAT will reimburse a monthly stipend of R3 000 per learner to companies enrolled on the Programme; and
• Provide mentorship for the learners to ensure the appropriate support, skills transfer and assessment of participants.

Benefits to host companies

• Matching of skills demand and supply;
• The programme allows the business to focus on developing the learner(s) aligned to specific skills required; and
• Allow the company to access the intern during the placement period.

Criteria for learners to be recruited by host companies

• Must be between 18 and 35 years of age; 
• Have Matric (or an equivalent qualification). Depending on the entrance requirements of some industries, a lower qualification may be accepted;
• Be an unemployed South African citizen who reside in the Western Cape;
• Learners should not be repeating the internship; and
• Learners should not be existing workers of the company or its subsidiary companies hosting the learner(s).

Expression of Interest and Commitment to Employment

The Department would like to invite all organisations that have the capacity to provide experiential learning opportunities to youth through the provisioning of meaningful employment opportunities, to contact the department through the email below. It would be expected that firms have the capacity to provide further employment to interns subsequent to the department’s stipend support.

The Department further invites lead organisations, that have the capacity to act as the lead employer of interns to be hosted at host organisations, through the email below. The lead organisation would be expected to remunerate intern stipends, which will be reimbursed by the department, and stipend top-ups. The department will not compensate lead companies for any facilitation of interns at host companies.

Downloads: 

• Expression of Interest
• Declaration of Interest (companies)
• Commitment to Employment
• Motivation letter with EoI

Contact details

Dedat.Placement@westerncape.gov.za