North West Department of Social Development has invested more than R6 million in empowering rural young people with civil construction and building skills, through the implementation of National Youth Service Programme, MEC Fenny Gaolaolwe said on Wednesday.

About 275 unemployed youth between the ages of 18 and 35, Gaolaolwe said are currently receiving training on plastering, painting, tiling, carpentry, bricklaying and end user computing courses.

Fifty unemployed youth are being recruited from Maheng village in Kagisano Molopo local municipality. Other groups of young people, Gaolaolwe said they come from most deprived wards in Rustenburg, Matlosana and Mahikeng.

“We are equipping these young people so that they become future employers and be the change agents in the communities they come from,” Gaolaolwe said, adding that the skills that the learners will acquired during their 12 months training will increase their employability and encourage them to venture into the labour market.

Gaolaolwe said the national youth service programme has made is possible for her department to link unemployed youth from most deprived wards to income generation projects.

“We will explore some means to ensure that these young people have the equipment at their disposal to continue to make a living out of the skills that they have acquired and further train and employ other unemployed youth in the respective wards,” Gaolaolwe said.

National Youth Service programme, also known as NYS, aims to provide long-term and effective ways of reconstructing South African society by developing the abilities of young people through service and learning. It also improves youth employability through opportunities for work experience, skills development and support to gain access to economic and further learning opportunities.
-TDN
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