Joburg records dramatic rise in EPWP work opportunities
26 October 2017
The City of Johannesburg is stepping up efforts to create work opportunities and provide skills through its Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP).
Between 1 July and 30 September 2017, the city and its entities created 6330 EPWP work opportunities, putting it well on track to meet its target of creating over 24 000 job opportunities by the end of the financial year in June 2018.
The biggest contributor of job opportunities was Housing, followed by JPC, JRA, JDA and JCPZ who all created more than 700 work opportunities each.
City Manager, Dr Ndivho Lukhwareni welcomed the improvement in the City’s EPWP performance but vowed to intensify EPWP implementation across the city and its entities.
To step up EPWP implementation, the City Manager has made EPWP one of the Key Performance Indicators of all Heads of Departments in the city. He also tracks EPWP performance monthly and has made EPWP a standing item on the agenda of the Executive Management Team.
EPWP as Gateway to employment
EPWP participants get exposed to the world of work and some go on to obtain full time jobs or to use their newly acquired skills to make a living. Between 2015 and 2017, the JMPD took on board 275 Peace Officers as part of the EPWP. Of these, 216 have now been absorbed into the Metro Police.
Many of EPWP participants were also recently absorbed by Pikitup when it introduced a third shift in the inner city. But participation in EPWP projects is meant to be on a short term basis and does not guarantee employment.
Edwell Gumbo, Head of EPWP in the Department of Economic Development says many EPWP participants acquire skills and experience which make them better prepared for the world of work. In the City, participants have gone away with varied set of skills, including data capturing, plumbing, painting, bricklaying and machine operating.
Some of the EPWP participants go on to set up their own cooperatives and then tender to provide service to the city, adds Gumbo. These cooperatives are able to receive support from the Cooperatives sub-unit in the Department of Economic Development
Patson Khosa, Assistant Director of Monitoring and Evaluation in the EPWP unit of the Department of Economic Development says each City department and entity has an EPWP champion who sits on the City’s EPWP Steering Committee. The role of the EPWP Champion is to ensure that all the projects implemented by the department or entity builds in EPWP principles as well as report on EPWP work opportunity creation.
This is in support of the City’s EPWP policy which states that all projects in the city are EPWP projects.
EPWP
No.
Dept/MoE
EPWP Annual Targets
Y.T.D Performance(July to September 2017)
1
Health
600
125
2
Soc Dev
400
151
3
Com Dev
2,500
128
4
EISD
1,000
345
5
JMPD
200
87
6
Transport
300
0
7
Housing
3,000
1,203
8
DED
100
16
9
EMS
100
0
10
JCPZ
1,550
666
11
Metrobus
100
158
12
Joburg Market
350
0
13
Pikitup
2,800
438
14
Joburg Water
1,394
268
15
City Power
4,000
58
16
JPC
3,000
880
17
JOSHCO
2,500
187
18
JRA
1,950
787
19
JDA
3,500
740
20
Joburg Theatre
269
93
TOTAL 6,330