EPWP: National Youth Service in the Built Environment

1. EPWP: National Youth Service in the Built Environment Portfolio Committee Briefing October 16, 2007

2. Genesis: National Youth Service • The National Youth Service is a government programme conceived through the White Paper, intended to: • Mobilise youth into productive work whilst acquiring skills to increase their employability; • Foster civic duty amongst the youth and imbue them with spirit of volunteerism to serve their communities; • Engender patriotism and loyalty to the state and the people of South Africa. • The EPWP – NYS programme in the Built Environment is a response to the State of the Nation Address in 2007, in which President T. Mbeki committed the Department of Public Works to engage 10 000 youth into the Government Building Construction, Rehabilitation and Maintenance projects as part of skills development and job creation initiative.

3. EPWP & National Youth Service • Employment boom in the Construction sector and lack of required skills; • Realisation of the shortage of Artisans in the Built Environment; • Contribution to job creation, NDPW set aside Building Construction, Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project for NYS. • NDPW has undertaken to recruit 5 000 youth for 2007 / 2008; • Each provincial department of public works would recruit 500 to make the target of 10 000 youth for 2007 / 2008.

4. Overall Programme Objectives • Ensure participation of initial 5000 in the EPWP NYS through service activities in the Built Environment; • Ensure that youth develop understanding, skills and aspiration for working in the Built Environment; • Exit strategies: • Recruit 10% into structure of Department; • Ensure the remaining youth enter into employment with private sector, other spheres of government, or entrepreneur or cooperative development. • Grant bursaries to further studies (universities or technikons).

5. Target Groups • Unemployed youth, aged between 18 – 35, interested in the Built Environment artisan career; • Resides close to the project location and meets entry requirements for training (Standard 8); • Unemployed Built Environment Graduates and Drop-outs (university, technikon, FET colleges).

6. Recruitment Strategy • Decentralised; • Local (through Regional Offices); • Advertised with clear criteria for target groups; • Use existing databases: labour centres, UYF & Youth commissions.

7. Youth Recruitment process • Advertisement (posters and radio); • Briefing sessions (local community halls); • Youth fill in Applications Forms, attach copy of ID & certificates; • Short-listing process and successful candidates are called for a written assessment; • Candidates who score high are selected into the programme and undergo NYS induction; • At completion of induction, candidates take the NYS Pledge.

8. Placement Checklist

9. NYS Learners Stipends • In training: R600 per month for food and transport stipend (in line with learnership which pays R500 per month); • While working: R1000 per month (paid by the contractor); • Programme Cost implications • Training: 5000 x 5 months x R600 = R 15 Million • Work: 5000 x 7 months x R1000 = R 35 Million.

10. Training Programme • The EPWP – NYS is a twelve months programme, learners attend training for five months, and spend the remaining 7 months at the Construction site under the Contractor supervision to acquire practical skills. • Induction (2 weeks): What is NYS, National flag, colours and Code of Arms; • Orientation (1 week): Introduction to Built Environment, Mandate of DPW – EPWP, role of CIDB, Agrement & CBE etc; • Afterwards youth commit or can drop out. • Technical Training (3 – 4 months): Artisan skills, (DoL); • Life skills (1 month) parallel to technical training.

11. NYS: National Programme Progress • Initial EPWP Youth capital and building maintenance programme were 175 contracts. • This total number of projects was to give us a figure of 5 780 learners . • We experienced a decrease every month, we now standing at 122 projects, with potential to bring 5 213 learners. • Projects per Region • Head Office - 27 projects; • Durban - 27 projects; • Johannesburg – 10 projects; • Cape Town – 15 projects; • Bloemfontein – 9 projects; • Kimberley – 8 projects; • Pretoria – 7 projects; • Nelspruit – 6 projects;

12. NYS: National Programme Progress • Mmabatho – 4 projects; • Port Elizabeth – 4 projects; • Polokwane – 4 projects; • Mthatha – 1 project.

13. Progress per Project • Edenburg Magistrate Court – 100 learners – 83 still on programme – electricians on site; • Bloemfontein SAPS Construction – 96 learners – 28 electricians on site training; • Bloemfontein DPW Building – 100 learners – assessment process; • Kagiso Magistrate – 48 learners – training started 24 July; • Kagiso Police Station – 50 learners – training started 20 August; • Diepsloot Police Station – 64 learners – training to start 17 September; • Benoni Construction of Accom – 17 learners – orientation starts 17 Sept; • Brakpan Police Station – 62 learners – orientation ended 14 September; • Jhb Forensic Laboratory – 18 learners – orientation starts 19 September; • Heidelberg Army Gymnasium – 12 learners – briefing 02 October; • Jhb Innes Chamber – 60 learners – briefing 12 October; • Scottsburgh Cells – 15 learners – induction and orientation;

14. Progress per Project • Golela Border Post – 250 learners – awaiting technical training; • Kimberley Prison – 100 learners – 31 on site and rest on interview process with contractor; • Kimberley High Court – 60 learners – awaiting site hand-over; • Kimberley Branch Court – 65 learners – awaiting site hand-over; • Vioolsdrift Border Post – 165 learners – briefing postponed; • Jane Furse SAPS – Briefing done; • Matoks SAPS – 81 learners – started with training; • CT 2 Military Hospital – 30 learners – briefing on 28 September; • CT 2 Military Hospital – 27 learners – briefing 28 September; • Elsies River – 24 learners – on induction; • Walmer Estate – 20 learners – training start 25 September;

15. Progress per Project • Vanrhynsdorp Prison – 75 learners – induction and training 25 September; • Cradock Police Station – 48 learners – briefing 14 September; • Port Elizabeth Police Station – 12 learners – briefing 17 September; • KwaMhlanga Police Station – 15 learners – selection process; • PMB Colonial Building – 144 learners – briefing 26 September; • PMB Archives Building – 40 learners – briefing 26 September; • Cesa Police Station – 70 learners – briefing 27 September; • Msinga Magistrate Offices – 14 learners – briefing 28 September. • The total number of learners on the programme at end of October would be 2 211.

16. NYS: Provincial Progress

17. NYS: Provincial Progress

18. NYS: Stakeholder Management • Development and signing of the Service Agreement amongst the stakeholders; • Service Agreement would detail the responsibilities of each of the stakeholders; Brand and Publicity • Sufficient involvement of the Minister, Deputy Minister, MEC’s and Director-General and Head of Departments; • Design standard NYS board or billboard to be placed at all NYS projects; • Sufficiently make use of the EPWP Communication Unit and the Chief Directorate Communications.

19. Training and Quality Assurance • Review the training programme, from induction, orientation, life skills and trades course to ensure alignment with accreditation; • Include the DPW Youth Foundation programme and driver’s license course; • Continuous learner assessment employ the services of HR Skills Development Assessors. Capacity of Directorate • Review of the structure of the Directorate; • Deployment of the ECDP staff as NYS Coordinators in the regions, this is already happening; • Presently, reviewing the number of ECDP staff and possibility of deploying some to Vuk’uphile programme.

20. NYS: Challenges • Delays and cut in the implementation of capital projects; • Delays in the DoL process to approve training funds and appoint service providers; • No clearer coordination lines between NYS national and Provinces, however preparing for a meeting to streamline coordination mechanism; • Need to appoint NYS Coordinators in all provinces to build capacity and enhance coordination; • Stipends: NYS Inter-ministerial Committee emphasis consistency in stipend determination, there must be alignment between national and provinces; • Safety clothing requirements during training prior to construction.

21. NYS: Recommendations We recommend that the following should be considered to enhance the programme: • Implementation of capital projects; • Capacity of provinces to implement the programme i.e. appointments of Provincial NYS coordinators; • Training programme to include computer skills and driver’s license; • Alignment of DoL process to speed the approval of funds; • Placing of NYS billboards at all NYS projects; • Signing of Service Level Agreements with implementation partners. END