The government’s flagship job creation programme, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is set for a major shake-up in the months ahead.
The shakeup will result in the programme contributing to building better community infrastructure, empowering participants with training and skills to enter the job market and becoming entrepreneurs as part of their exit strategies.
The announcement comes as the government reviews the performance of the Expanded Public Works Programme and prepare for the next phase which will see over five million opportunities being created.
EPWP is currently in phase 4 and has delivered over four million opportunities.
This announcement has been made by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala at the EPWP phase 5 Indaba in Pretoria on Monday.
He was joined by Deputy Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Bernice Swarts, different stakeholders, beneficiaries and officials from the department.
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala told the Tshwane Talks that the EPWP Phase 5 Indaba has been convened to take stock of the current phase which is coming to an end in March next year.
Phase 4 learnings are being unpacked at this Indaba and new innovative ideas are being thrashed out for Phase 5 to accelerate the creation of job opportunities that have a long-lasting impact on the unemployed youth of South African.
The repositioning and rebranding of the EPWP will be focused on delivering services and changing the lives of communities.
“This programme should move beyond quantity to quality, high impact and be sustainable to the beneficiaries,” Minister Zikalala said.
He said the programme will be massified to create more opportunities while attempting to solve the country’s key challenges such as: road maintenance (pothole patching, brick paving and ensuring pothole free road networks), cleaning of neighborhoods and waste management, energy (retrofitting of government buildings and solar installations), fixing lifts and plumbing.
“EPWP Phase 5 should be more than just combatting unemployment. It is about rewriting the story of our youth from one of despair to one of hope, from stagnation to growth and from dependency to self-reliance,” said Minister Zikalala.
“Our core focus should gravitate towards not just creating employment opportunities, but crafting pathways of continuous growth, learning and empowerment.
Our goal goes beyond employment generation.
It is about nurturing a skilled, self-reliant populace that contributes constructively to our nation’s socio-economic fabric,” said Minister Zikalala.
Beneficiary Kamogelo Matlala said the programme has helped her a lot and today she is working permanently by a catering company as a head chef.
“I want to encourage youth to stand up and use all the opportunity the government is giving them and today I’m happy and got a job through EPWP programme and no longer rely on grants,” Matlala said.
