Government to initiate projects to stimulate job creation and economic activity in North West – Employment and Labour Minister, Nxesi

Government is eyeing at kickstarting three major projects in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality in the North West Province to kick-start the moribund economic activity.

Employment and Labour Minister T.W Nxesi said the three projects will be in Information Communication and Technology (ICT), brickmaking/laying training, and tourism.

Nxesi said the ICT programme would involve training of young people in various information technology fields, the brickmaking/bricklaying would see the construction of a factory and training of people in brick making and construction.

According to Nxesi the programme would be driven by the Department through the Labour Activation Programme (LAP).

Labour Activation Programmes refers to deliberate interventions designed to integrate or re-integrate the unemployed into the labour market. Some of the LAP programmes that have been undertake by the department includes the Training of the Unemployed (TOU), Enterprise Development (ED) Training Layoffs Scheme (TLS) and Turnaround Solutions (TAS).

LAP is a Departmental initiative introduced through its entity, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) in 2010 as a stop gap labour market intervention to assist UIF contributors to reintegrate in the labour market. The objective of LAP are to enhance employability, enable entrepreneurship and preserve jobs.

The Minister was addressing a Departmental – “Taking Services to the people” event at Ext 24 Sports Ground, Jouberton, Klerksdorp.

The “Taking Services to the people” event was a culmination of a number of activities undertaken by the Department in the province. The week-long event involved the provision of a number services to the provinces in partnership with the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality and other national departments to the people of the district municipality.

Dr Kenneth Kaunda District is situated at the southern part of the North West Province and borders both the Gauteng and Free State Provinces. The region previously relied on the now sunset mining industry.

For information kindly contact:

Botsang Huma – Provincial Communication Officer

Department of Employment and Labour

Cell: 082 497 7438

Email: botsang.huma@labour.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa