Schools across the country will once more be joined by thousands of teaching assistants and general workers as phase four of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) kicks off today.
What started out as a plight by government and the Department of Basic education to contribute towards the fight against youth unemployment, has now enabled more than 850 000 young people in South Africa with job opportunities within public schools.
In a statement issued by the department, DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga explains that the fourth phase of the initiative is aligned with the beginning of the 2023 academic year as it gives the youth an opportunity to be in schools at a crucial time and period when they will be most needed.
Mhlanga says that phase four aims to create a further 255,000 job opportunities for youth across the nine provinces. He adds, “The 255,000 is spilt into two cohorts of +/- 150 000 and 105 000 youth, respectively.”
The first 150 000 teaching assistants and general workers will start working on 1 February and the second cohort of 105 000 youth will start in 1 May 2023.
However, schools in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal will appoint single cohorts each and is set to start on 1 February and 1 March 2023, respectively.
The department says that the fourth phase will focus on providing support to educators to contribute towards improved learning outcomes as the youth will be working in classrooms as Curriculum Assistants.
“Handymen will be provided with accredited training, ranging from painting, tiling, plastering, plumbing etc,” says the department.
Additionally, the youth will also have access to various training opportunities throughout the duration of their contracts.
This includes a digital literacy course offered by NEMISA, an artificial intelligence in 4IR course from the University of Johannesburg and an online safety programme from Digify Africa.
National Project Manager Lala Maje, has encouraged the youth to take full advantage of opportunities that will be availed to them throughout their contracts.
Maje continues, “There job opportunities can catapult them into even greater things and allow them to develop as professionals.”
The departments says that during this phase, it aims to increase efforts in promoting inclusion education awareness by all assistants.
