Engineering News reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) is spearheading an initiative to combat unemployment in SA and, as part of this initiative, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) is planning to collaborate with various government entities.

According to the DEL, these partnerships will be aimed at creating more than 234,000 new job opportunities and, over the next three years, these opportunities will provide support to small, medium-sized and microenterprises. Organisations, including the Small Enterprise Finance Agency, the Small Enterprise Development Agency, the National Youth Development Agency, the National Empowerment Fund and the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, are expected to receive more than R7.7-billion from the UIF to implement the interventions. This was revealed by UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping during an Employment and Labour Ministerial meeting with UIF management, in Pretoria, on 16 July. During the meeting, the UIF provided a comprehensive briefing to DEL Minister Nomakhosazana Meth. The briefing encompassed key aspects such as the UIF’s mandate, programmes, performance, financial standing, business processes and employment creation interventions. More information about the job creation partnerships will be disclosed during the official launches, which are expected to take place in the current financial year.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News

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