Pretoria – A partnership between the Department of Labour and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has created 21 234 new jobs.
Speaking at a New Age Breakfast Briefing on Monday, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant said the department had invested funds in the IDC, which continued their collaboration through the issuing of an additional bond of R2 billion, bringing the total bond to R4 billion.
The IDC uses the funds to lend out to businesses that aim to create or save jobs.
“Through this partnership, 21 234 new jobs were created ... This investment has increased from 5% to 10% of the total investment portfolio, meaning that over R8 billion will be made available for investment in manufacturing, mining beneficiation, agriculture and tourism.
“We have allocated R3.2 billion to the Public Investment Corporation to plough into job creation projects, over and above the amount allocated to IDC,” Oliphant said.
She added that the department continued to support, through prudent investments from Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Compensation Fund (CF), projects that aim to create or save jobs.
In addition, she said, the UIF would continue funding Productivity South Africa’s Turnaround Solutions – a three-year R39 million a year agreement to assist companies in distress to save jobs and keep people in employment.
The branch, Public Employment Services, was one of the vehicles used by the department to contribute to fighting unemployment.
Oliphant noted that the department had just concluded a series of jobs fairs and summits in all the provinces, which were designed to introduce prospective employers to potential employees.
She also encouraged businesses to register their vacancies on the department’s database.
The department has 171 Employment Services Practitioners and 84 Employment Counsellors providing services at 125 Labour Centres, 72 (out of 139) Thusong Centres and various visiting points. It also has 19 mobile trucks, two Public Employment Services (PES) buses with internet connectivity, 12 Sheltered Employment Factories and Productivity SA headquarters and three regional offices.
PES achievements and statistics include:
- A total of 600 259 work-seekers were registered on the system
- 59 % of work seekers were profiled against a target of 60%
- 16 171 work seekers were placed against a target of 18 000
- A total of 396 172 work-seekers were referred against a target of 72 000
- A total of 2 620 companies registered vacancies on ESSA [Employment Services of South Africa].
Oliphant said a total of 153 applications received were processed within 30 days; 108 were corporate permits covering 12 631 employment opportunities, of which 8 320 were positively recommended. Out of 45 applications for individual work permits, 32 were negatively recommended, Oliphant said. - SAnews.gov.za
