Johannesburg - Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has launched yet another ambitious project to train and employ at least 6 000 young people from the province through his solar panel installers learnership programme.
The project was launched alongside partners the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority at the Premier's head offices in Midrand on Thursday.
The project forms part of the Lesufi’s promise during his State of the Province Address in February this year.
He said the project is in response to the country's current energy crisis which has seen implementation of various stages of load shedding for over four years now. It also forms part of skilling and training young people who remain on the periphery of the skills and unemployment crisis.
“We want our young people to be assured of opportunities in the province, which is why every fortnight until the end of June, we will be announcing with training offers until we reach the target of 6 000 young people. Gauteng cannot be the City of Gold while our youth go through pain and suffering. We are excited about this project as it will propel into greater heights,” Lesufi said.
He pointed out that the solar panel industry was a growing industry which the province was looking into to turn the province’s youth unemployment crisis after statistics from the Quantec and Trade Map revealed increased demand for solar products.
“According to the Quantec and Trade Map, which provides economic and financial data, in 2022, SA imported R5.6 billion worth of solar panels and modules, while this year alone the figure stands at R3,6bn,” he said.
Merseta CEO Disa Mpande said Merseta was established for the sole purpose of promoting skills development in the country and she welcomed the Premier’s proposed partnership.
“As the board of Merseta, we welcome this initiative and we are proud that it ticks all the boxes and criteria that speak to us as leaders in artisan development, as the programme will empower and skill young people in a variety of skills including entrepreneurship and business development,” she said.
Lesufi added that the project was not a fly-by-night programme as most of the young people who would be equipped with skills would continue to receive long-term employment opportunities within the province’s intended solar farm and would be dispatched to various communities where they would be the primary installers and service providers of solar panel products to communities for a period of more than three years after this training.
“This is not a one-off, short-term programme as the 6 000 young people will gain an NQF level 5 certificate and accreditation that gives them an employment status that is not shorter than three years after the training.
“If the word permanent does not make sense to you, I don’t know which other word I can use to describe the level of long-term plan we have with this project, and that of the crimebusters who are also permanent,” Lesufi added.
The Star