The Sunday Independent reports that Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Morakane Mosupyoe officially opened the Ikusasalethu Youth Development Project centre in Alexandra township, on Thursday.

The department said the project aimed to equip young people with the necessary skills to crack the labour market, thus make young people more employable. Ikusasalethu is one of the six centres of excellence in the five Gauteng regions that are aimed at tackling issues of youth unemployment. The centre has been approved to train 400 young people and offers programmes in web design, furniture making, carpentry, and welding, among others. Heinrich April, an MP who serves in the portfolio of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, applauded the Department of Social Development and the community for working together to establish the project. April said he would ensure that the youth participating in these programmes had access to the markets after completing their courses. “There is tons of progress that specifically looks into how we can incorporate small-medium enterprises into the mainstream. One thing I can convey to you is that I will make sure that these young people have access to the necessary tools of the trade and their markets,” said April. “The focus is to ensure that all individuals are skilled and further trained to start their own businesses to curb reliance on employment,” said Feziwe Ndwayana, spokesperson for the social development department. The office of the MEC said that it would collaborate with the involved parties to ensure that the programme became a success.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshepiso Tshabalala on page 5 of The Sunday Independent of 6 June 2021

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