Mayor Tau reflects on youth empowerment at SOCA

04 May 2016

 

The City of Johannesburg has identified vocational skills development and the bridging of foundational learning as critical interventions in breaking down barriers to youth employment.

 

This was said by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau in his State of the City Address (SOCA) in Turffontein, south of Johannesburg, on Wednesday May 4.

 

Mayor Tau said the most current research and analysis, conducted during the rollout of the Vulindlel’ eJozi Programme, confirmed that the lack of relevant skills and qualifications among Johannesburg’s youths remained a major barrier to their participation in the economy.

 

“Our young people bear the greatest brunt of this exclusion.  It is thus that we have identified vocational skills development and the bridging of foundational learning to be critical interventions in breaking down barriers to employment for youth,” Cllr Tau said.

 

Despite this, Vulindlel’ eJozi, a far-sighted programme that seeks link disengaged Johannesburg youths to employment and empowerment opportunities in partnership with Harambee, has attracted more than 127 000 youths since it was announced by the Executive Mayor in his SOCA in May 2015. However, the target for this financial year was 200 000.

 

“We encourage our young people to continue to raise their hands and register on vulindlelejozi.mobi. We have already engaged over 31 000 youth in opportunity channels and the majority of the remainder are being attached to a foundational skills and matric rewrite programme, breaking down a major barrier to work and skills development opportunities,” Mayor Tau said.