<\/p>\n
President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the return of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), describing it as a vital pathway to work experience and skills development for South Africa\u2019s youth.<\/p>\n
In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa highlighted that around 200,000 young people are starting jobs at over 20,000 schools across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday marks the \u2018first day at school\u2019 for about 200,000 young people; they are not arriving at school as learners, but as working adults,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
This marks the fifth phase of the BEEI, South Africa\u2019s largest youth employment programme, now funded by the UIF Labour Activation Programme and national government.<\/p>\n
The initiative, a key component of the Presidential Employment Stimulus launched in 2020, returns after a year\u2019s pause, aiming to bring \u201chope, energy and incomes\u201d to areas where job opportunities are often scarce.<\/p>\n
The programme provides participants with essential work skills, including time management, teamwork, IT, administration, and problem-solving.<\/p>\n
It also ensures young people \u201cadd real value, enhancing the learning environment for learners and strengthening learning outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Participants take on roles aligned with school priorities, from Curriculum Assistants helping teachers in the classroom to Reading Champions, Lab Assistants, IT support, and those maintaining school infrastructure or leading extracurricular activities.<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa quoted former participant Sibongile Joni, who now works at an NGO, as an example of the programme\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
She advised new participants to: ‘‘Be reliable: your consistency builds trust. Be willing to learn, ask questions, accept feedback and grow daily. Take initiative: if something needs to be done, do it without waiting to be told. <\/span><\/p>\n ”Treat every task as important, no matter how small, because excellence in the small things builds your reputation. Always be professional: your attitude, respect and conduct matter. Build strong relationships with staff and learners. People open doors for those they trust and enjoy working with. Lastly, make the most of the training offered, they equip you with the skills you\u2019ll need for your next step.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese young people will leave the school environment having shown up, contributed and made a difference,\u201d Ramaphosa said.<\/p>\n He urged employers to \u201cgive them their next opportunity, mentor their enthusiasm, help take their potential to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n Ramaphosa also emphasised the need to support youth entrepreneurship: \u201cWe need to find new ways to support those who want to create their own jobs, to connect them to finance, training, markets and networks.\u201d<\/p>\n While celebrating those selected, Ramaphosa acknowledged the many who were not. He affirmed the government\u2019s commitment to expanding opportunities: \u201cWe still have much more to do to address the plight of young people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is but one initiative that seeks to address the youth unemployment challenge. It is up to all of us in society to give them the opportunities they need to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the return of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), describing it as a vital pathway to work experience and skills development for South Africa\u2019s youth. In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa highlighted that around 200,000 young people are starting jobs at over 20,000 schools across the country. \u201cToday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[2284,419,369,7047,4055,7602,15646,3694],"class_list":["post-242151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-basic","tag-cyril","tag-education","tag-employment","tag-empowers","tag-initiative","tag-ramaphosa039s","tag-youth"],"yoast_head":"\nGet your news on the go, click here to join the News WhatsApp channel.<\/strong><\/h2>\n