Northern Cape unemployed youth to be trained in public finance management

14 July 2015 - 16:58
By RDM Newswire

The National Treasury in collaboration with the Northern Cape office of the premier and the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA)‚ are preparing to roll out a learnership programme in public finance management for unemployed youth in the Northern Cape.

This programme came in response to the audit outcomes of the past five years which indicated that audit qualifications emanated amongst other things from material misstatements on the annual financial statements‚ Treasury said on Tuesday.

“A further analysis suggests that inadequate skills‚ competence and experience of staff involved in the accounting units of departments contribute to and directly impact on the audit outcome.”

The programme was a customised accounting technicians’ qualification developed by Treasury in partnership with the Association for Accounting Technicians for public sector officials at the transaction level of activities in government departments. PSETA was offering the funding of the programme.

“The learnership seeks to train 50 unemployed youth in Kimberley and Upington in a Certificate in Accounting Technician (Public sector)‚ NQF 3‚ and SAQA ID 73710. It will cover 12 months where learners will receive classroom instruction for a week every month and three weeks workplace experiential learning.”

The learners would receive a stipend of R 2‚500 per month for the duration of the programme after which “there are greater opportunities of being deployed in various departments and municipalities in the province”.

Whilst the programme would assist the Northern Cape Province with overall financial management skills capacity‚ it would also ensure efficient supply chain management processes. The outcome would result in officials being able to accurately process documents relating to goods and services‚ it said.

“Suppliers will be paid on time as well as ensuring that the correct service providers are paid‚ leading to an improvement in both audit outcomes for the province and supply chain management processes.”

Applicants have to be less than 30 years of age and must have a minimum level 4 for Matric Maths/Accounting.

Applications can be hand delivered at the Northern Cape Premier Office or any National Youth Development Agency office in the Northern Cape.