The initiative, described as a “transformative” tool to combat unemployment, develop skills and deter crime while building state capacity, specifically targets youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET).
“In this year’s State of the Province Address, the Gauteng government reaffirmed its commitment to tackling unemployment as a primary focus. As a key part of this effort, the Nasi Ispani initiative will be relaunched on 6 September.
“Originally launched in June 2023, Nasi Ispani has already generated substantial employment through its 13 special programmes. This next phase, Nasi Ispani 2.0, aims to create 45,000 new job opportunities. It will specifically target youth who are not in employment, education, or training [NEET],” Premier Panayza Lesufi said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
The training and work opportunities will include internships, work-integrated learning, artisanal development in mining communities, the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative and the filling of vacancies.
“The initiative will also continue programmes from the previous intake, such as the Aga Lerona Road Workers, the Sawubona Mhlali Brigade, and internships,” the Premier added.
The second round of Nasi Ispani will focus on the Unemployed Youth Skills Development Initiative (UYSDI) which is expected to enrol some 2810 participants in training opportunities including:
The Gauteng City Region Academy will also offer the following training opportunities:
“Nasi Ispani is not a panacea or a magic wand that will solve the problem of unemployment.
“However, its core objective is to build a capable state by hiring residents directly for public service roles, thereby reducing the province’s dependence on external service providers. It also aims to skill the youth to ensure they are in a better position to get jobs in the public or private sectors or to become entrepreneurs or self-employed,” Lesufi said.
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