EPWP skills training graduation ceremony in Ceres

A total of 73 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) beneficiaries have successfully completed ten months of work on various EPWP programmes at the Witzenberg Municipality. They will be receiving certificates for the training courses they attended during this time at a ceremony in Ceres on 1 July 2016.

This EPWP Social, Infrastructure and Environmental and Culture Sector initiative was jointly funded and implemented by the national Department of Public Works, the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW), and Witzenberg Municipality. Various projects were implemented in Ceres, Op-die-Berg, Prince Alfred Hamlet, Wolseley and Tulbagh.

The project details are as follows:

• Twenty EPWP beneficiaries were employed to clean targeted neighbourhoods and streets,
• Sixteen were employed to clean the streets of five municipal towns after hours,
• Eight were employed to clean rivers and cemeteries, and to fell trees,
• Eight were employed to patrol the Dennebos Resort to help ensure the safety of tourists and their belongings,
• Eight were employed to do general maintenance of municipal infrastructure,
• Six were employed to clean town entrances and landscape community parks,
• Six were employed to cut grass in parks, open spaces and municipal sports grounds, and
• One EPWP assistant was employed to coordinate conditional grant projects, including compiling attendance registers, capturing data, and doing basic administration.

The EPWP is intended to alleviate poverty by providing work for a short period. During this time, beneficiaries also get skills training and on-the-job experience to put them into a better position to become employed. All the beneficiaries were aware that being chosen to participate in the EPWP did not mean they were entitled to jobs. This was a great opportunity for these individuals to earn money, build their self-confidence, restore their dignity, and improve their skills.

DTPW will continue to fund and support EPWP initiatives across Western Cape municipalities, tertiary institutions, and other potential sites for job creation. These initiatives help to give effect to Provincial Strategic Goal 1: “create opportunities for growth and jobs”.