The task of local government to work tirelessly in addressing the triple government challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality is proving successful through Ugu District Municipality’s Local Economic Development Unit’s (LED) Portable Skills Program that has planted a beacon of hope to 64 youth from around the district.
The Municipality partnered with the local municipalities and Esayidi TVET College and trained 64 students in Welding,Gate
Automation,Plumbing and Small Appliance Repairs, giving these youngsters an opportunity to fend for themselves through the acquired skills.
An impressive Awards Ceremony was held recently where the 64 students were awarded certificates relating to skills accomplished by the Municipality and Esayidi TVET College last week. Over and above the certificates, the group that completed Small Appliance Skills training were given toolkits to support the acquired skill.
The group of graduates consisted of 15 Welding students from Vulamehlo Municipality, 12 Gate Automation students from Hibiscus Coast Municipality, 30 Plumbing students from Umzumbe and Ezinqoleni
Municipalities and 8 Small Appliance Repairs students from Umuziwabantu Municipality.
Addressing at the awards ceremony, Member of the Ugu Executive Committee, Cllr Moosa Manyoni highlighted that the Ugu District Municipality established the LED Portable Skills Program with a clear vision of eliminating the scarcity of skills facing the youth throughout the district.
Cllr Manyoni further alluded that the establishment of this program was also to fulfil several objectives such as employment creation, SMME Development and Investmentin Human Capital.
The Municipality’s focus of this program was to impart portable skills to the employment seekers with specific emphasis to the youth. Moreover, this program was intended to serve a dual purpose of equipping participants with skills that improve their employability or alternatively their ability to improve livelihoods through starting small and micro enterprises.
Ugu District Municipality promotes working together to create an environment that is friendly, responsive, accountable, effective and efficient for local communities.