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Johannesburg - The Gauteng government has introduced a new public employment scheme, which is expected to create thousands of new job opportunities in the province during the next year.
This new community works programme (CWP) is closely related to the existing extended public works programme. The first of these projects will be unveiled on Tuesday in Thembisa.
"We aim to launch at least 10 CWP sites in the province this year," said Gauteng MEC for economic development Firoz Cachalia on Monday. In total, 20 projects are planned.
Each site will employ 1 000 people for two days a week, 100 days a year.
"It is important to stress that these job opportunities are not decent jobs," he added. The plan is for the provincial government to use these CWP-related jobs as “ladders” to allow job seekers to find more secure employment.
How it will work is still being figured out, with the provincial government consulting with academics at Wits University.
This week, the Gauteng provincial government unveiled its employment, growth and development strategies for the next five years.
Gauteng - South Africa's economic hub - has actually been hit harder by the recession than other provinces.
The countrywide unemployment rate now stands at 25.3%, while that of Gauteng is almost 2% higher. Jobs in the financial services and manufacturing sectors were most affected.
One of the key development goals for the province will be to improve infrastructure. Cacholia said that no major flagship projects for the province had been identified as yet.
However, he did say the provincial government would be inviting tender bids for the development of the Constitutional Hill precinct in downtown Johannesburg.
Other projects will include freight and community transport development.
"People who must access their jobs can’t do so without spending half or three-quarters of their salaries reaching work each morning because they live in poorly located settlements on the other side of the city region," said Cachalia.
The government has already identified 25 large-scale multi-billion rand infrastructure investment and growth nodes at key positions in the economic core of the province.
Another growth area for Gauteng will be tourism - in particular for the conference market. Cachalia hinted that there may be plans to construct a new convention centre.
These projects will have to be funded through partnerships with the Development Bank of Southern Africa and private parties, as the biggest part of Gauteng's R1.2bn annual budget goes towards education and health services.
Cachalia also stressed the importance of developing information and communication technology services in Gauteng.
"We need to achieve in the next 15 years what Bangalore did in the last 15," he said.
The provincial government will invest in network infrastructure, co-investing with other partners to implement broadband extension in non-metro areas.
- Fin24.com
This new community works programme (CWP) is closely related to the existing extended public works programme. The first of these projects will be unveiled on Tuesday in Thembisa.
"We aim to launch at least 10 CWP sites in the province this year," said Gauteng MEC for economic development Firoz Cachalia on Monday. In total, 20 projects are planned.
Each site will employ 1 000 people for two days a week, 100 days a year.
"It is important to stress that these job opportunities are not decent jobs," he added. The plan is for the provincial government to use these CWP-related jobs as “ladders” to allow job seekers to find more secure employment.
How it will work is still being figured out, with the provincial government consulting with academics at Wits University.
This week, the Gauteng provincial government unveiled its employment, growth and development strategies for the next five years.
Gauteng - South Africa's economic hub - has actually been hit harder by the recession than other provinces.
The countrywide unemployment rate now stands at 25.3%, while that of Gauteng is almost 2% higher. Jobs in the financial services and manufacturing sectors were most affected.
One of the key development goals for the province will be to improve infrastructure. Cacholia said that no major flagship projects for the province had been identified as yet.
However, he did say the provincial government would be inviting tender bids for the development of the Constitutional Hill precinct in downtown Johannesburg.
Other projects will include freight and community transport development.
"People who must access their jobs can’t do so without spending half or three-quarters of their salaries reaching work each morning because they live in poorly located settlements on the other side of the city region," said Cachalia.
The government has already identified 25 large-scale multi-billion rand infrastructure investment and growth nodes at key positions in the economic core of the province.
Another growth area for Gauteng will be tourism - in particular for the conference market. Cachalia hinted that there may be plans to construct a new convention centre.
These projects will have to be funded through partnerships with the Development Bank of Southern Africa and private parties, as the biggest part of Gauteng's R1.2bn annual budget goes towards education and health services.
Cachalia also stressed the importance of developing information and communication technology services in Gauteng.
"We need to achieve in the next 15 years what Bangalore did in the last 15," he said.
The provincial government will invest in network infrastructure, co-investing with other partners to implement broadband extension in non-metro areas.
- Fin24.com
