Responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa¡¦s ¡§Thuma
Mina¡¨ initiative, the Volvo Group Southern Africa is
introducing a Youth Employment Initiative. The global
Swedish automobile giant hopes that the initiative,
unveiled on Saturday, 19 May 2018, in its assembly plant
in Durban, will help address South Africa¡¦s high
unemployment rate among the youth.
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Since 2015, Volvo Group Southern Africa has invested
more than R86 million on apprenticeship training,
automotive industry learnerships, disabled persons¡¦
learnerships, as well as internships. This year, the
President of Volvo Group Southern Africa, Torbjörn
Christensson, said the company was investing another R25
million as part of the Youth Employment Service (YES),
which will target TVET college students.
During the course of the year, the company will also
establish a specialised Driver Training Academy to
address the shortage of skilled drivers in the region,
at an investment of R1,4 million. They are also
continuing with their involvement in Star for Life, a
non-profit organisation that aims to provide young
people in southern Africa with essential life skills,
sports training and health education at a tune of R7,8
million.
Volvo¡¦s initiative is in line with the YES Initiative
led by President Ramaphosa. Launched in March, the
initiative between business, government, labour and
civil society will see businesses creating one-year paid
positions for youth aged between 18 and 35 with a
minimum paid stipend of R3 500 a month. Christensson
said Volvo believed in the future of South Africa,
especially in the youth and the endless potential they
hold. ¡§As a global company, with a strong commitment to
the success of South Africa, we also support
government¡¦s initiative to focus on youth development as
is envisioned in initiatives such as the proposed Youth
Employment Service,¡¨ Christensson said.
President Ramaphosa, who addressed the launch on
Saturday afternoon, welcomed the commitment from Volvo,
saying it would go a long way in addressing the high
rate of youth unemployment, which he said was the
greatest challenge to social development in South
Africa.
The President added that the development of the skills
for South Africa¡¦s youth was a shared responsibility
between business, government and labour. ¡§We call on
companies to join the programme, not only to increase
the chances of employment for many thousands of young
people but also so that the companies themselves can
develop the young workforce that they will need to
expand and grow.¡¨
Before the start of the launch, President Ramaphosa
toured the assembly plant at Amanzimtoti. The plant
produces 10 trucks a day. The plant contributes to the
group¡¦s employment of around a 1 000 people in its
assembly plants in Durban, as well as in Rosslyn,
Pretoria.
¡V Source:
SAnews.gov.za
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