Although officially launching on 6th April 2024, the provincial government in Gauteng has been late to communicate important details of its leg of the Jobs and Skills Programme – a nationwide initiative to upskill thousands of jobless youth that will cost the country R28.3 billion.

While the programme has apparently started in other provinces, the Gauteng leg has received enormous interest and even we have been receiving emails asking for help. In this article, we hope to answer questions like:

• Where to go to apply/register?
• Where and how to apply online?
• What to bring when registering/applying?
• And what you could be getting yourself into when taking part?

The following information was published to the official X account of the Gauteng provincial government on Thursday.

Where to go in person to register for the Gauteng Jobs & Skills programme

The provincial government has listed a huge amount of walk-in sites across the province that will open on weekends. This weekend, the 13th and 14th April, they will be open so that unemployed residents of Gauteng can register to take part in the training programme.

The sites will be open between 08:00 and 17:00.

Walk-in sites for Ekurhuleni, Gauteng East, North, West, South and Central, Sedibeng East, and Tshwane North, West and South have been listed on the official X account for the Gauteng government, and there are hundreds. Mostly public schools.

Where to register online for the Jobs & Skills programme

Alternatively, if you don’t want to make your way to the nearest public centre, and have access to the Internet, you can apply on the Department of Labour’s web portal.

You can find the website here. Following the link posted on X will get you to a non-existent page on the internet. You will first have to register with the Department of Labour and then navigate towards finding the Jobs & Skills page.

For more information or assistance on registering you can call 0860 101 018.

What to bring with you when registering in person

If you are taking the trip to your nearest public centre this weekend, you will only be required to bring your Identity Document. You will not be required to bring your CV or anything else, at least the provincial government has said.

The programme is open to people of all ages, and all skill levels. The point is to upskill as many people as possible so that they can find employment in the future.

Participants in the Gauteng Jobs & Skills Programme must be cautious

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has made a lot of promises in terms of what people who register for the Jobs & Skills Programme can expect. Promises that have not been indicated in any official capacity by other parts of the government.

For example, Lesufi said at the launch last week in Gauteng that those who register for the jobs drive will receive a monthly stipend while they work. This was not indicated by Department of Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi when he revealed the nationwide UIF LAP earlier this month.

In fact, a report this week by News24 (paywall) alleges that Lesufi and the provincial government failed to pay the stipends of over 300 participants in the Nasi iSpani programme that launched last year. Despite the participants beginning their assignments at various government positions across Gauteng, including in nursing and in social work, they have yet to receive any stipends.

Many of them have also been assigned tasks unrelated to their experience and skills, such as packaging food parcels and collecting data for ANC electoral purposes – without pay. One participant said that the programme is a farce and Gauteng government does not have the budget to fulfil its promises.

Lesufi has defended the programme and the recently launched Jobs and Skills drive on social media, but those looking to register must be warned that they may encounter similar issues as the ANC heads to the polls in May, hoping to convince as many voters as possible.