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R90 million for jobs

EXPANSIVE: Qedani Mahlangu PHOTO: MARIANNE SCHWANKHART
EXPANSIVE: Qedani Mahlangu PHOTO: MARIANNE SCHWANKHART

People will be trained in various business skills and if their plans meet the required funding criteria, they will receive funding of between R500,000 and R1-million

GAUTENG MEC for economic development Qedani Mahlangu will today launch an initiative aimed at creating jobs.

Y-Age, a programme to train young business people, will target 100,000 people between the ages of 18 and 34. But people aged between 35 to 40, who have tertiary qualifications, will also be considered for the programme.

The department has set aside R90-million (over three years) to kick-start the initiative. Other developmental finance institutions and private sector partners have also been brought on board.

People will be trained in various business skills and if their plans meet the required funding criteria, they will receive funding of between R500,000 and R1-million.

Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, chief executive of Oresego Holdings, the founding and implementation partners, said yesterday the programme would help achieve the government's goal to creating 5 million jobs by 2020.

There are about 3.6 million unemployed youths in Gauteng.

"We are looking at creating a million jobs over three years," Tabane said.

The youths to be trained will include:

  • People with existing businesses, but with no funding;
  • People with business ideas, but no funding;
  • People with innovative ideas that need funding; and
  • People who had businesses that failed due to lack of funding.

The entrepreneurs will register on an on-line website and mobisite and pay a R500 commitment fee once they have been selected.

Gauteng Enterprise Propeller outlets and malls will be used to help register people. A reality television show is also being planned for the initiative. Training starts in January.

"Candidates will receive certificates at the end of their one-year mentorship," Tabane said.

More than 30 sectors, including agriculture, ICT and franchising have been identified. There will be more than 90 training centres.

GEP chief executive Thandi Ngqobe said they "will empower these entrepreneurs to create at least 10 jobs each".

On the Web: y-age.co.za