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By Lungile Ntimba
In an effort to get young people working, the Employment and Labour Department has teamed up with the Thekwini TVET College at its Cato Manor Campus to help students register as job seekers on the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) platform.
The platform, which is run by the department, helps job seekers find employment and training opportunities. It acts as a bridge between employers and job seekers by facilitating the matching of individuals with available positions.
The department said it would also create opportunities for collaborative engagement sessions, where students could receive career counselling, job-readiness support and access to vacancies posted by participating employers.
“As the department, we will undertake regular registration visits to the college to ensure that young job seekers are registered on the ESSA system. In addition, we will identify students who can be connected with recruiters for placement in specialised training programmes,” department provincial operations acting chief director Nandipa Kahla said in a statement on Monday.
She said the department aimed to expand this initiative to ensure that the skills training provided at institutions of higher learning was aligned with the needs of relevant employers.
The college’s principal, Nkosinathi Mchunu, welcomed the collaboration, saying the college was diversifying and strengthening its academic offering.
“We are working closely with SETAs to introduce programmes such as Mechatronics and Road Transport Management. This partnership will be instrumental in preparing our students for real world opportunities,” Mchunu said.
Department spokesperson Teboho Thejane said employers and training providers had committed to offering 603 job and skills development opportunities during a jobs fair at the college, which was spearheaded by the department’s Public Employment Services (PES) branch.
He said the department also provided on-site access to various services during the jobs fair, including assistance with ESSA registration for job seekers and employers.
Thejane said the partnership was just one its initiatives bridge the gap between education and employment and equip youth with skills and support needed to enter the labour market.
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