City of Tshwane has deployed the first group of young artisans to various regions as an intervention to improve service delivery, while also contributing to youth skills development and job creation in the city.
The deployment follows the official launch of the Special Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Artisan Programme which took place last week Friday, 20 October 2023, at the Tshwane Leadership and Management Academy (TLMA) in Pretoria West.
City of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink said City has deploys qualified artisans as a high-priority intervention to improve service delivery. The City of Tshwane has recruited and trained a group of 71 artisans.
They will serve on a 12-month contract with a monthly stipend of R6 500. The project has a budget allocation of R5 million for the current financial year.
The artisans programme is fully accredited and managed by TLMA.
It offers various artisan trades, namely electrical, vehicle mechanic (diesel and petrol), welding, fitting and turning, boiler making and plumbing.
“I want to thank Cllr Kingsley Wakelin, MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Cllr Peggy de Bruin, MMC for Community and Social Development Services, and Ald Hannes Coetzee, MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, for their collaborative efforts to empower young people,” Mayor Brink said.
He said this programme is a demonstration of the multiparty coalition government’s commitment to youth development, job creation and fighting high youth unemployment.
“We are working on producing a strong supply of artisan skills in order to respond effectively to the City’s service delivery needs.
We are proud to say that many of our artisans hold important positions within the city and many have built promising careers as entrepreneurs he said.