The Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, urged young people to take note of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and utilise them wisely. Mhlauli made these remarks during the Community Youth Service Outreach organised by the offices of both councillors (Wards 114 and 108) at Mfuleni Community Hall on Tuesday, 24 February.
The event was attended by various government departments and organisations, including the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). It mainly targeted unemployed youth from Mfuleni and surrounding areas.
Mhlauli said the aim of the event was to bring services closer to the people.
“I know most of you are not working, and others are not even studying. We are here today to assist you. Those who don’t have identity documents can apply today because the Department of Home Affairs is here. And those who can’t afford to go to universities, we have our SETAs here to assist you,” she said, adding that it is never too late to go back to school.
She clarified that the primary role of the SETAs is to empower people with skills. Mhlauli emphasised that there are job opportunities available, but people need to follow the correct channels.
“If you look at my Facebook page, I post vacancies every day. The issue we have is that young people don’t know where to go when they are looking for jobs,” said Mhlauli.
NYDA Deputy Chairperson Bonga Makanya said the agency is committed to assisting young people with their businesses.
“If you want to start a business or already have one but need funding, you can come to us. We are here to support you. We support all kinds of businesses,” said Makanya.
Okuhle Jiya (27) described the event as useful. She said she completed her matric in 2016 and has been searching for a job without success since then.
“It is great to have such initiatives in our communities. We learn new things every day. The SETAs are encouraging us to register and upload our curricula vitae to their websites so they can keep them in their database. They will be able to contact you if there is a job opportunity,” said Jiya.
