Pretoria – Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa yesterday (Saturday) launched the ground-breaking R300 million Groen Sebenza project aimed at skilling unemployed youth with the relevant skills in the biodiversity sector.
The launch of the programme formed part of Environment Month celebrations.
Spearheaded by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), the innovative Groen Sebenza project is aimed at developing skills and bridging the gap between education and job opportunities in the biodiversity sector. The project is sponsored by the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s Jobs Fund.
The youth targeted for the project are those with matric to degrees.
Speaking at the launch, Molewa said the project is definitely a landmark that her department, SANBI and other partners are proud to be pioneering and using to play a leading role in building a pool of young, vibrant, capable and confident professionals for South Africa’s biodiversity and natural resource management sector.
“This is a ground-breaking partnership with 33 environmental and biodiversity-focused organisations from all spheres of government, business and the NGO sector.
“It is the Department of Environmental Affairs’ hope that the effective implementation of the incubator concept will have a catalytic impact on skills development and job creation,” she said.
Groen Sebenza involves the placement of 800 unemployed youth in skilled jobs across public, private and non-governmental institutions in the local biodiversity sector for a period of two and half years.
The project focuses on training, mentoring and workplace-based learning with the objective of building a pool of young and capable professionals for South Africa’s biodiversity sector which aims to boost job creation in the green economy.
Molewa said many young people benefiting from the programme are sole bread-winners of their extended families.
She explained that the project intends to equip the graduates and matriculants with the skills and experience needed to access jobs in the biodiversity sector.
“We are all aware, the battle against poverty is not won once one gains a qualification from an institution. The challenge within this sector is that students with the right qualifications struggle to bridge the gap between education and employment in the sector,” Molewa said.
Currently, 463 of the participants commenced with the project in May. According to Molewa, the remaining participants will be appointed in the course of this month.
SANBI Chief Executive Officer Dr Tanya Abrahamse said the project effectively brings to life, the ideals of the vision of a green economy by mobilising for and engendering the involvement of young people in the management of biodiversity through job creation.
“We are confident that this project is the right step towards addressing the skills shortages in the sector and more significantly, it will help to diversify the sector,” she said.
One of the participants in the programme is 28 year-old Sabelo Linda from Osizweni in Newcastle, who holds an Honours degree in Science.
He was unemployed and said he is greatful for the opportunity he had been given.
He is working at NCC Environmental Services in Cape Town.
Young people from all the provinces came in numbers to attend the launch. – SAnews.gov.za
