The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed an agreement with the Youth Employment Service (YES) to provide young people with technical skills and applicable work opportunities. The arrangement is formally designated a Sponsored Host Placement Agreement. Under its terms, the CSIR will create 66 job opportunities for young people over one year.

“It is in the CSIR’s best interest that we invest in the development of the youth in our society,” affirmed CSIR CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini. “Unfortunately, South Africa has a very high level of unemployed youth, which does not bode well for the future of our country. Young people are the future. Therefore we need to ensure that they are given opportunities to make a meaningful contribution to society and commerce. This partnership with YES is in addition to our human capital development initiatives, which are also focused on young people.”

Of the young people who will participate, some will be hosted by the CSIR itself, and others by approved YES implementation partner Youth@Work. The opportunities provided will include science and maths teaching assistants, computer coding facilitators, schools and municipal institution (local library) digital learning facilitators, and digital learning laboratory information technology assistants.

“What is particularly exciting about these jobs is that they dovetail perfectly with our goal of preparing South Africa for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” stressed YES CEO Dr Tashmia Ismail-Saville. “We appreciate the CSIR being the first major State-owned enterprise (SOE) to take the leap and commit to YES, and we look forward to engaging other SOEs and helping to create the jobs of tomorrow.”

“It is a real privilege to be able to assist another group of young South Africans as they enter the workforce, especially in these uncertain times,” affirmed Erica Kempken from Youth@Work. “We look forward to sharing the stories of change and impact over the next 12 months.”

YES was launched in March 2018 and is a collaboration between business, labour and government. It is led by business, and receives no government funding. It is a not-for-profit organisation and, since its creation, it has received support from more than 1 010 businesses. Created to counter youth unemployment in the country, during its first year of operation YES generated 35 000 youth jobs, the associated salaries totalling more than R1.4-billion.