Cape Town —President Cyril Ramaphosa has encouraged the South African youth to not be too choosy when it comes to job opportunities.
Ramaophosa was in Belhar, Cape Town, to address the youth and he reflected on the three years since he administered the he Presidential Youth Employment Intervention and the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programmes. Ramaphosa said that, at least 1.8 million job opportunities have been created since the programmes were officially launched, EWN reported.
The president also promised the youth that government was making progress in addressing unemployment. He shared a story of how he was introduced to the workforce by packing boxes of cigarettes and sweets.
“That’s why I encourage young people, don’t just want to get an office job. Go and get any job, manual or otherwise, because it teaches you the discipline of work.”
The President launched the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) in 2020 as a comprehensive approach to address the country’s youth unemployment challenge. Read the PYEI Quarterly Progress Report: Q3: October – December 2023 here: https://t.co/RkKKjn39bV pic.twitter.com/WtNzPM3NlI
— #SONA2024 | Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) February 6, 2024
Ramaphosa said government will not be able to solve the youth unemployment problem by itself. He urged youngsters to get involved in their own empowerment, and also called on the private sector to assist government to create more opportunities for employment or empowerment, SABC News reported.
He aimed to garner institutional and political backing for programs, motivate youth to seize available opportunities, and inspire the business community to invest in developmental projects.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
