EPWP
The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is one of Government's initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between the growing economy and the large numbers of unskilled and unemployed people throughout the country.
The Programme was first mentioned by former President Thabo Mbeki in his State of the Nation Address in 2003. Phase 1 of the programme was launched in April 2004. The government came up with this programme because most unemployed people in South Africa are also unskilled and the focus was to create work opportunities for those who are unemployed and unskilled. All of the work opportunities generated by the EPWP are combined with training, education and skills development. The training and skills development aspects of the programme are coordinated by the SETA's, and the Department of Labour. The aim of the training is assist people to earn an income and increase their potential to join the labour market when they leave the programme. It also makes it easy for the employers to find qualified workers through the programme.
The target of the programme was to create at least 1 million work opportunities in its first five years of which at least 40% of beneficiaries would be women, 30% youth and 2% people with disabilities.
Phase 2 of the programme was launched in April 2009 at the University of the Western Cape. President Zuma said that through the EPWP, the government aims to make use of public-sector funding to expand the job absorptiveness of various procurement services that government was involved with on a regular basis. He also called on the municipalities to identify and implement labour intensive projects which will summarize the spirit of the EPWP and fulfill the original plan. He said that the EPWP would create 4 million job opportunities by 2014 but he emphasised that these opportunities would be on a temporary basis only.
Even on this phase, the aim of the programme is still the same. It empowers people so that they can find jobs when the project is over. The government is hoping to decrease the unemployment rate by creating more than 210,000 FTE (Full-time equivalent) jobs per year. The public sector and non-state sector are expected to work together and create work opportunities for unemployed people in South Africa through the delivery of public and community services.
If you are interested in the programme, you can register yourself on the Umsebenzi portal (http://www.umsebenzi.gov.za/ ). You can go to your nearest library and make use of the SmartCape computers for free internet. Register yourself on the portal to get your username and password. When you've registered yourself, click on the CV generator and fill in all the necessary information that is required in the provided fields. You can also check the advertised jobs and apply for it if you wish to do so. If the online form is giving you problems, then you can go the Department of Public Works in Long Street, Cape Town, to acquire the forms. When you are done filling in the forms, you put them into the provided box or hand them to an official, who will assist you. You must always have a copy of your ID and your CV with you.
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