Cape Town – Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has opened the Advancement of Youth Project (PAY) 2022 cohort applications to help curb the rising youth unemployment rate in the region.
With the national unemployment rate sitting at 46.3% and with many matric pupils anxiously waiting for their final results, the PAY project will help young people gain working experience in one of the 13 Western Cape government departments.
This one-year internship allows qualifying candidates to gain a year of mentoring, decision-making about a future career, on-the-job training and exposure to skills training and development to make them more employable.
Premier Winde said: ”The PAY project allows young people the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in the public sector and build their CVs and skills sets, making them more marketable and employable in the future.
“I encourage all young people who meet the qualifying criteria to make use of this opportunity. We have seen a number of our PAY interns over the years launch successful careers, using this opportunity as a stepping stone.”
According to the Western Cape Government, to qualify for this internship, applicants must meet the following requirements:
– 24 years old or younger.
– Wrote and passed the National Senior Certificate (NSC) in the Western Cape.
– Not going to study further in 2022.
– South African citizen residing in the Western Cape.
– Have no network or support to help you make informed career choices.
– Not sure of your next step after school.
– Financially constrained (household income less than R350 000 p/a)
Complete the online application form at: https://sayouth.mobi/p/WCDoTP/o/196970 before the January 26 deadline.
The DA has praised the Western Cape government’s efforts to curb youth unemployment.
“Since 2012, more than 5 000 young people have come through the programme and enjoyed internships in all 13 of the provincial departments, exposing them to important skills development and training opportunities that help set them up for their next job and supports them in building their careers,” DA MPL Ricardo Mackenzie said.
“While the efforts made by the Western Cape Government to leverage all of its resources in support of our communities and our youth is commendable, we need to see high levels of sustainable economic growth to turn the tide of unemployment in the country. We hope that during the State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa will be able to give concrete plans on how to address unemployment in South Africa,” he added.
IOL