The North West youth who are participants of the National Youth Service Programme (NYSP), a governmental programme meant for training and jobs, are disappointed that they will not be receiving their certificates after the completion of the programme next month. This is because of the dispute between the North West Department of Public Works and Roads and the training company.
This was expressed by the group of youth who are part of the NYS Programme in Potchefstroom in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District last Wednesday, where they were patching potholes and renewing road markings.
When speaking to Mo-Media, some youth said the programme was a waste of time as they will not have something in their hands to prove that they’ve completed their training.
Tshepo Sibanda, one of the participants in road maintenance in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District NYS Programme, said the programme had taught him a lot about different skills in road maintenance. "I feel good about the experience that I've gained, but the problem is that since we have started with these programmes, we have not been given certificates so that we can apply for permanent posts because this is just a learnership that is coming to an end next month," he said.
“The sad truth about this whole thing is that we won’t be able to get our certificate despite courses we have completed that could open doors for us when applying for jobs," said 24-year-old Nomkhosi Makhafula.
Morake Seleke, holding a fitting and turning in Mechanical Engineering as his highest qualification, says he was hoping that the North West Department of Public Works and Roads would absorb them as department employees when the NYS Programme ends next month. "We have been applying wherever there are posts, as in Lichtenburg and Bojanala. But until today, we don't have any luck, and maybe we don't get call-ups because of not having certificates as proof of the training we've been getting from this programme.
Kenneth Gill, who is the Chief Director for Community-based programmes from the North West Department of Public Works and Roads, said the programme's purpose is to skill the learners who are participants so that they can go out there and look for jobs. Gill was adamant that those who participated in the programme are better with skills and also working in big companies despite the challenge they are facing with the current group that will not receive their certificates at the end of the programme next month. “The current group had a dispute with the service provider who was supposed to hand out certificates, but the process is still sub judice because it is a legal case and issues of certificates. We will sort them out," he said.
Gill further said the Learnership intends only to absorb some students into the department, as government jobs are limited, and people compete for them. “For us to be fair, we open vacant posts for everybody interested in the posts, if they didn't get one, tough luck, but at least they have the skill," he stated.
Over nine hundred young people in the province participate in the NYS programme. They are enrolled in the bricklaying, plumbing and road workers aids skills development programme and have been paid a stipend of three thousand rands.
