Latest news with #PYEI
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Science
- The Citizen
Atteridgeville schools equipped with new science labs
Four schools from Atteridgeville now boast new science laboratories. These include Bokgoni Technical Secondary School, Hofmeyr High School, Edward Phatudi Comprehensive School, and Seaparankwe Primary School. This is through the hands of the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, alongside the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who recently handed over the facilities to the school management and learners. The School Science Lab Handover Programme took place on August 7 and was a collaborative initiative between the Department of Electricity and Energy and private sector partners. The initiative seeks to improve the quality of science education in township schools by providing essential infrastructure to foster problem-solving, critical thinking, and innovation among learners. The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA) and tech company Huawei donated equipment and technology. Ramokgopa described the day's events as a remarkable commitment to growing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among township schools. 'We reaffirmed the place of STEM as subjects that will undergird human advancement and inclusive development. We reasserted the inalienable right of the black, township and opportunity-deprived children to fully participate in the future we desire and construct,' Ramokgopa said. 'These learners will not imagine a science experiment; they will perform it in their own lab with the aid of modern technology. They are likely to get it wrong the first time, and this will drive them to keep on trying until they get it right. It is the fail-fail-succeed continuum that will enhance their chances of academic progression and possibly land them distinctions,' the minister said. The minister thanked their partners, Huawei, Avon/Didisa, and NECSA for making the project possible. 'Education is fun, it is fashionable, it is an unending enterprise,' Ramokgopa said. Mhlauli said the donation goes beyond the bricks, mortar, and equipment as it is about opportunity, empowerment and preparing the youth to thrive in the economy of tomorrow. 'As the Presidency, we view this initiative as part of a broader commitment to building an inclusive, skilled and future-ready generation. This science lab handover speaks directly to the goals of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) and the broader National Development Plan,' Mhlaudi said. 'We know that a lack of foundational infrastructure in schools, particularly in the sciences and technology, holds back many young people from fully participating in our evolving economy. That is why we support and welcome this partnership,' she said. The deputy minister in the Presidency said the initiative reflects the collaborative spirit needed to cultivate growth, asserting that the government cannot transform education alone. She called on the private sector, civil society and public institutions to come together to create a lasting impact in communities that need it most. 'Through the PYEI, the Presidency has championed programmes that link learning to earning. We also recognise that our work starts in the classroom. It begins by creating environments where learners are inspired, equipped and supported to dream and succeed. Initiatives like this one strengthen that foundation,' Mhlauli said. ' The metro's MMC for Roads and Transport Tlangi Mogale expressed her appreciation for private entities coming on board. 'These science labs will empower our students with the tools and resources they need to excel in the sciences, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Science education is not just about textbooks and theory; it's about hands-on experience, discovery, and innovation,' Mogale said. She also thanked the minister for the donation. Watch here: Good morning Tshwane, and our people especially in Pheli😊. This is Surprise, a grade 11 learner from Atteridgivile and he wants to pursue a career in Nuclear Physics. I believe in his dream and listening to him I knew he had it in him. ❤️ — Tlangi Mogale: CoT MMC for Roads&Transport 🇿🇦 (@tlangimich) August 11, 2025 Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
The Herald
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald
'It's phenomenal': Ramaphosa hails teacher assistant jobs for helping millions of young people
President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised the basic education department's teacher assistant programme, saying it has been successful in providing millions of unemployed South Africans with job opportunities. The six-month Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) — Basic Education Employment Initiative offers 200,000 unemployed young people between the ages of 18 and 34 the opportunity to be employed as education assistants and general school assistants in state schools. Phase V started in June, and successful candidates will receive a monthly stipend of R4,000 and an additional R30 for data. Briefing the media on Tuesday, Ramaphosa described the programme as 'phenomenal'. 'It is an overarching programme that covers almost all our 25,000 schools. I'm pleased that the basic education department has taken it on, working with the Presidency through the PYEI, and the labour and employment department has also assisted with the funds.' He said he wants the programme to be strengthened, adding it prepares young people for the formal job sector. 'It is proving to be beneficial in many ways. First, to the young people we bring in — young people who have not had jobs. So we bring them into formal job situations. They come into a formalised institution and they learn a lot. They gain a lot of knowledge, discipline, management skills and people skills to be able to interact with difficult young people, and they are excelling. 'This is usually empowering for these young people and we've had more than two million of them.' South Africa's unemployment rate has increased to 32.9%, with youth unemployment rising to 46.1%, leaving millions of young people out of work. Ramaphosa said while he would like the programme to be longer, insufficient resources make it difficult. Despite this, he said the programme is becoming influential globally. 'This is becoming a world-renowned programme. Many other countries are looking at what we are doing here and some of them are going to copy what we are doing, so we are trailblazers in many ways. This is one programme where there hasn't been corruption; it's been flawless and well executed.' TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
11-06-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
'It's phenomenal': Ramaphosa hails teacher assistant jobs for helping millions of young people
President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised the basic education department's teacher assistant programme, saying it has been successful in providing millions of unemployed South Africans with job opportunities. The six-month Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) — Basic Education Employment Initiative offers 200,000 unemployed young people between the ages of 18 and 34 the opportunity to be employed as education assistants and general school assistants in state schools. Phase V started in June, and successful candidates will receive a monthly stipend of R4,000 and an additional R30 for data. Briefing the media on Tuesday, Ramaphosa described the programme as 'phenomenal'. 'It is an overarching programme that covers almost all our 25,000 schools. I'm pleased that the basic education department has taken it on, working with the Presidency through the PYEI, and the labour and employment department has also assisted with the funds.' He said he wants the programme to be strengthened, adding it prepares young people for the formal job sector. 'It is proving to be beneficial in many ways. First, to the young people we bring in — young people who have not had jobs. So we bring them into formal job situations. They come into a formalised institution and they learn a lot. They gain a lot of knowledge, discipline, management skills and people skills to be able to interact with difficult young people, and they are excelling. 'This is usually empowering for these young people and we've had more than two million of them.' South Africa's unemployment rate has increased to 32.9%, with youth unemployment rising to 46.1%, leaving millions of young people out of work. Ramaphosa said while he would like the programme to be longer, insufficient resources make it difficult. Despite this, he said the programme is becoming influential globally. 'This is becoming a world-renowned programme. Many other countries are looking at what we are doing here and some of them are going to copy what we are doing, so we are trailblazers in many ways. This is one programme where there hasn't been corruption; it's been flawless and well executed.'
Daily Maverick
02-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Presidential Youth Employment Initiative delivers 76,000 job opportunities in Q4 — but it's a drop in the ocean
Despite the creation of some jobs, youth unemployment in South Africa — now at 46.1% — remains a national crisis. The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) continues to deliver meaningful change in the lives of South Africa's young people, according to the deputy minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli. At a media briefing on Monday, Mhlauli highlighted the initiative's progress during the fourth quarter (Q4) of the 2024/2025 financial year, marking five years of sustained effort to combat South Africa's unrelenting youth unemployment crisis. During Q4 alone, 76,569 job opportunities were accessed by young people in South Africa, including 60,444 through and 16,125 via the Employment Services of South Africa. Additional highlights included: 15,137 private sector placements via the Youth Employment Service; 5,504 TVET graduates placed through the Department of Higher Education and Training; 43,000+ young entrepreneurs supported by the National Youth Development Agency and the Department of Small Business Development; and 2,048 young people recruited under Phase 3 of the Revitalised National Youth Service. The innovative Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund also saw progress, with more than 5,400 young people enrolled and more than 3,000 placed into quality, sustainable jobs, with R70-million disbursed to 11 implementing partners to date. Bleak employment stats Three weeks ago, Stats SA released its Q1 Labour Force Survey for 2025, which revealed that the economy had shed 300,000 jobs and youth unemployment had increased to 46.1%. While the 76,000 job opportunities may alleviate the joblessness crisis for a small number of South Africans, it's not enough to address the crisis. 'The numbers are not as great as we want them to be, but we are seeing that we are making a difference,' said Mhlauli. The deputy minister said the recently released labour force survey showed that 132,000 new jobs were created in Q4 of 2024, and the opportunities created by the PYEI within that period contributed to the figure. 'Of course the job growth within the last quarter hasn't been as high as the previous quarter where we had almost 300,000 new jobs, but of course, in the 132,000 jobs that we are reporting in the last quarter we can see a direct correlation between what we are doing through trying to find employment opportunities for young people and the official unemployment rate of young people,' she said. Some young people still locked out In his weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), which on Monday saw 200,000 young people return to school, this time as teacher assistants. The BEEI, which was on hold for a year because the government failed to release the funding from the UIF Labour Activation Programme, aims to give young people work experience so they are more attractive to employers. In May, Daily Maverick reported that many unemployed young people were vying for limited employment opportunities, resulting in an overwhelming volume of applications for the very small number of opportunities offered by the nation's job placement programmes and initiatives. Omphemetse Setino (24) is one of the millions of young people who applied for the latest phase of the BEEI and didn't get a job, but still hopes to find employment. 'I applied in April and I was looking forward to actually getting a job, but I have not heard back from them, and all I feel now is disappointment,' said Setino. Setino told Daily Maverick that a position in the BEEI would have allowed him to help his mother support their household. 'I know that you can't get every job you apply for, but it's been four years since I finished matric and I am still unemployed,' he said. While he commended the government for creating pathways for employment for young people, he said more could be done. 'The only way you hear about these programmes is through word of mouth. I know so many people who are shocked when they hear the government is running a jobs programme, because the government is not communicating directly with us. They can go to malls for a political rally, but they can't go to schools to tell us which programmes are running and where. It's very disheartening,' he said. Mhlauli said the Presidency was working on addressing how it communicates about programmes in the initiative, including visiting stakeholders in their communities to raise awareness. Economic growth While Mhlauli acknowledged that the unemployment rate overshadowed the successes of the PYEI, Tshego Walker, the PYEI programme manager, said the government had to focus on economic growth because 'economic growth translates to jobs'. Walker said the department was working on a strategy to foster meaningful job creation for young people in light of the bleak unemployment stats. 'Our sister programme, Operation Vulindlela, is implementing structural reforms that will grow the economy. It is important that, as the economy grows, young people benefit from the jobs that are created, but we have seen in the last 16 years that this hasn't been the case. The relationship between economic growth and youth employment is a weak one. We have to make sure that we specifically focus on targeting young people and make sure that they benefit from that growth,' said Walker. Operation Vulindlela, launched in the aftermath of the economic toll the Covid-19 pandemic had on SA, aims to reform the nation's economy to drive growth. In May, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the second phase of the government-led initiative, which will focus on addressing spatial inequality to bring economic opportunities to townships and rural areas and develop a Digital Transformation Roadmap, in addition to expanding on the sector-specific reforms implemented during Phase 1. Walker said the initiative was focusing on the following interventions to address challenges in job creation for young people: Inclusive hiring: The Presidency is aware of hiring practices in the private sector that don't favour young people. Through the PYEI, the Presidency plans to shift hiring practices so that young people can benefit from new job creation; Supporting sectors with growth barriers: The Presidency will focus on addressing barriers to growth in specific sectors that can create jobs for young people, like the tourism industry, where international arrivals have not recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic; and Supporting SMMEs: Given that the current labour market cannot create jobs for the one million new entrants every year to the labour force, the government will focus on supporting young entrepreneurs to create their own pathways into employment through a Youth Hustler Fund. Engaging discouraged work seekers The Q4 labour force survey revealed that approximately 1.9 million young South Africans were unemployed but had stopped actively looking for jobs because they had become discouraged about the prospect of finding employment. Walker said that by reaching young people where they live, the Revitalised National Youth Service (NYS) aimed to incentivise discouraged job seekers to re-enter the labour force. The Revitalised NYS is a paid community programme for young people. 'They don't pay for transport to town, and it's solving community needs. Currently, in Phase 4, we have 40,000 opportunities that are going to these young people,' said Walker. She said the Presidency aimed to make the NYS a catch-all for young people who weren't in training or employment, and it would function as an alternative pathway to getting this group of people engaged in the labour market. 'What we don't want is seeing young people sitting at a corner. That is precisely what we don't want and that is what we are trying to address through this programme,' said Mhlauli. DM
SowetanLIVE
23-04-2025
- Business
- SowetanLIVE
Government offers 200,000 teacher assistant positions for unemployed youth
The basic education department has announced that applications for the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) — Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) Phase V are open. This opportunity will offer 200,000 unemployed youth between the ages of 18 and 34 positions as education assistants and general school assistants in public schools. 'The focus for BEEI Phase V is to provide support to educators to contribute towards improved learning outcomes. To support the 7th Administration Priorities, the initiative will allocate more opportunities towards reading champions to support the improvement of reading and literacy in foundation and intermediate phases,' the department said. Successful candidates will receive a stipend of R4,000 per month (less than 1% UIF contribution) and R30 for data. Applications opened on April 22 and will close on May 9. Interviews will be conducted between May 19 and 31, and contracts will begin on June 2 and last until November. Schools have been advised to provide opportunities for disabled youth and women, as well as to prioritise youth in communities where the schools are located. 'In this way, the youth do not have to spend money on transportation between their homes and the schools where they will be employed.' The departments encouraged youth to apply for the opportunities 'so that they are included in these massive job opportunities, which can propel them into even greater opportunities and allow them to develop as professionals'. How to apply: Go to the SA Youth mobi website and register on the platform. The site is free and does not require any data. If you have already registered, simply log in using the same details. Once registered, opportunities at the school nearest to the address you have provided will appear, allowing you to submit your application. If no opportunities are visible, you can search for 'Education Assistant' or 'General Assistant.' Who can apply: South African citizens aged between 18-34; Must have a South African bank account; Must live within 5km of an urban school or 30km of a farm/rural school; and The phase is open to youth who have not participated in the program before. TimesLIVE
