By Bongiwe Zwane-Maseko
Private sector institutions and local government authorities have shown full support for the Eswatini Youth Empowerment Programme (EYEP) through the signing of Memorandums of Understanding documents with the UNDP.
These include the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) and the Construction Industry Council of Eswatini (CIC) and the Ezulwini, Nhlangano and Mankayane municipalities. The MoUs formalise a partnership between UNDP and the organisations on EYEP, which has two pillars – Graduate Placement and Artisanal Skills Training.
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The private sector institutions have committed to creating spaces for hosting the graduates and providing mentorship. They are also providing financial support towards the programme. The municipalities will provide technical and financial support to the Artisanal Skills Training, whose pilot recently started at Ezulwini.
Areas of potential cooperation include:
- Providing placement of selected graduates into host institutions and supporting them with mentorship and coaching.
- Promoting artisanal skills and mentorship to non-graduates and out-of-school youths.
- Establishing a partnership on resource mobilisation towards setting up a basket fund.
At the signing ceremony, PSPF CEO Masotja Vilakati said PSPF is excited about the Programme because, although PSPF’s members are public servants and those who have retired, the youth are their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He said PSPF has had several graduates trained in the organisation for at least a year for the past three years, after which they look for jobs.
“We have noted that it is helpful for their experience and career because when they apply, they can cite that they worked for PSPF for a year, and it gives them credibility,” said Vilakati.
The Acting CEO of the CIC Maqhawe Mnisi confirmed the organisation’s partnership in supporting EYEP in ensuring that the graduates and unskilled youth get employment opportunities through placements with member organisations. He said CIC was already supporting the youth in this way.
Ezulwini Municipality CEO Mathokoza Shongwe said he was grateful to UNDP for the partnership because EYEP has extended the local government’s reach in supporting the youth to create jobs. He noted that the challenge now was to expand its reach and the budget.
Nhlangano Municipality CEO, Babsy Mavuso, also expressed his gratitude for being part of EYEP, adding that it will expand the local authority’s reach in supporting the town based in the Shiselweni Region.
Sharing the same sentiments was his counterpart from Mankayane Municipality, David Madlopha, who said partnering with municipalities will also help the national Government to accelerate youth development.
Senior government officials from the Ministries of Economic Planning and Development, Sports Culture and Youth Affairs, and Labour and Social Security also attended the event. Director of Sports Culture and Youth Affairs, Bheki Thwala, appreciated the support from the private sector
and municipalities.