The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has launched a district model-type unemployed database for youth, professionals and artisans throughout South Africa.
The database will be used to capture and store information on these unemployed groups in an effort to help determine South Africa’s available capacity to deliver on integrated infrastructure projects in specific areas.
Registration on the database is online on the DPWI's website and will be continuous without a closing date.
The district model was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019 and is aimed at accelerating, aligning and integrating service delivery under a single development plan.
The model will be implemented in specific municipal districts or metropolitans and is developed jointly by national, provincial and local government, as well as business, labour and community in each district.
The DPWI says the development approach ensures that planning and spending across the three spheres of government is integrated and aligned and that each district or metropolitan plan is developed with the interests and input of communities taken into account upfront.
The DPWI unemployed database is aimed at supporting government’s infrastructures priorities for economic growth beyond Covid-19. The database will be used in different projects by prioritising available registered people in that district where the project is being implemented. Preference will be given to females of all races.
During the active stages of the infrastructure strategic projects, those recruited from the unemployed youth database will also get on-the-job training opportunities such as that provided through a work integrated learning programme for national accredited technical education diplomas (undertaken through technical and vocational education and training colleges) that are available to students and university of technology students who require experiential training to obtain their qualification.
This will include graduate internships to expose graduates to work experience to strengthen employment suitability, trade certificates for construction trades, and candidacy programmes towards built environment professional registration.
In addition, qualified professionals and artisans will be registered for job opportunities within the strategic infrastructure projects, or SIPs.