Deputy Speaker, in terms of the code of good practice for Employment and Conditions of Work for Special Public Works Programmes, the participation targets for EPWP employment must include 55% women, 40% youth and 20% people with disabilities.
Since the state of the nation address of 2013, for the period 1 April to 31 December 2013, a total of 862 291 work opportunities were created. Of these work opportunities, 422 619, that is 49%, were work opportunities for the youth. The EPWP continues to advocate youth participation in its implementation and in its National Rural Youth Service Corps, Narysec, programme throughout the country.
The Community Work programme, CWP, is a programme under the EPWP. In terms of its progress, for the period 1 April to 31 December 2013, a total of 174 855 work opportunities were created under the CWP. Of these opportunities, 84 776, that is 48%, were work opportunities for the youth.
The EPWP has provided beneficiaries with work experience and training. Training relates either to on-the-job training, short courses, skills programmes, learnerships and artisan training. Work experience, together with the training offered, strengthens the beneficiaries' chances of obtaining permanent jobs. In terms of research which was conducted under the 2012 EPWP mid-term review, 87% of the interviewed beneficiaries were employed, of which the majority were still on the EPWP. Thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, I thank the Minister for the comprehensive response. It really demonstrates that the ANC-led government does indeed have a good story to tell.
Noting the progress report as presented, what future plans does the Minister have to enhance the progress outlined? In other words, how does the Minister intend assisting these young men and women to access funding from government in order to become self-employed? And, how does the Minister intend assisting them to become co-ops and create more job opportunities for the country, thus boosting the economy in the process? Thank you.
In terms of the decision taken by Cabinet, we have upscaled the EPWP under the commission's public employment programmes, which is going to be led by the President and Deputy President. We are co- ordinating and pulling together all the programmes of the different departments so that there is that co-ordination and links amongst those departments. We are working together with a number of departments like the Department of Trade and Industry, DTI, the Labour department, the Services Sector Education and Training Authority, Sseta, and a number of other entities.
The new approach is one which says we must be able to help these kids or hand over to the different departments with the relevant funding entities, so that it does not just end with Public Works, but becomes a chain. Thank you.
Thank you, hon Deputy Speaker.
Dankie vir die antwoord, agb Minister. Ek wil egter vra watter riglyne u departement het om seker te maak dat alle werkloses in die gemeenskap 'n gelyke kans het om werk te kry in die verskillende werkskeppingsprogramme. Met ons oorsigbesoek in die Wes-Kaap was munisipaliteite se antwoord hierop dat 'n databasis bygehou word en die rekenaar aangewend word om name te trek.
Dit wil s dat raadslede en politieke partye geensins betrokke is by die proses nie. Slegs in een geval het die burgemeester duidelik laat blyk dat hy hom nie laat voorskryf nie. Hulle doen aanstellings soos hulle voel.
My vraag aan die departement is dus: Watter vaste riglyne is daar om te sorg dat die belastingbetaler se geld aangewend word om die werkloses op 'n gelyke basis te bereik en dat partylidmaatskap nie 'n rol speel nie. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Thank you for the answer, hon Minister. However, I would like to ask what guidelines you department has in place to ensure that all unemployed people in the community have an equal chance to obtain work in the various job creation programmes. During our oversight visit in the Western Cape, the answer of municipalities to this question was that a data base is kept and that a computer is employed to draw names.
That is to say that councillors and political parties are in no way involved in the process. In only one case did the mayor make it clear that he would not be dictated to. They make appointments as they feel they should.
Accordingly, my question to the department is: What fixed guidelines are in place to ensure that the taxpayer's money is applied in such a way as to reach the unemployed on an equal basis and to ensure that party membership does not play any role. I thank you.]
As the programme is implemented mainly at the level of municipalities and, of course, in some departments, our guidelines were just broad principles where we talked about people in the wards who need to call all the stakeholders so that they are able to choose their appropriate candidates.
However, we have realised that there has been a lot of infighting, and in some instances the EPWP jobs are used as an instrument by political parties. In fact, there has been a very big storm here in the Western Cape about how the EPWP has been excluding certain people and being driven by certain councillors in this particular province. We have now decided that we are putting very, very strict guidelines in place, which must be followed by everybody. It is on record that the EPWP has been very divisive here in the manner that it has been implemented by the City of Cape Town. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, the Minister's reply to this question in terms of the opportunities created and, the numbers is really impressive. With regard to those impressive numbers, I would like to ask you whether provision has been made for those who went through the programme to in fact develop skills and whether portable skills were created? Can you indicate, within those impressive numbers, how many young people have in fact acquired portable skills which were created when given those particular jobs?
We know that one of the challenges that we have is a shortage of skills, so if there is no provision built into those particular opportunities for portable skills, then it basically becomes an exercise that does not necessarily benefit any of the provinces, including the one that you referred to. Can you indicate, within those impressive numbers, what those portable skills are?
The reason that we are talking about co- ordination amongst the different departments is precisely to ensure that once we have trained the people we are able to link them to the other programmes so that they are able to develop.
Unfortunately, at this moment, I am unable to give hon Ramatlakane the detailed skills as per the categories which he requested, but we should be able to write to him and give him that information. I am very happy that everybody sees the seriousness of this programme. Even though they are not fulltime jobs, some of them are long-term. Yet, even those who called these jobs "bogus jobs" are using them now to campaign in the country. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon members, the time allocated for questions has expired. Outstanding replies received will be printed in Hansard.
See also QUESTIONS AND REPLIES.