- The Gauteng Department of Health will lean on the Expanded Public Works Programme to upskill and reskill participants.
- The department has signed five-year agreements with various higher education institutions including the Tshwane University of Technology.
- The department has welcomed over 4 000 EPWP participants to its halls, some of whom are now permanently employed.
As part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), the Gauteng Department of Health has announced a new initiative to upskill and reskill EPWP beneficiaries.
The provincial health department has signed five-year agreements with higher education providers including the Tshwane University of Technology, Liberty College of Excellence and TVET Colleges to accelerate the training and development of citizens.
“The EPWP initiative is a key cornerstone in our strategy to build a knowledgeable, skilled, and innovative workforce. We have solidified our partnership with various stakeholders to create a supportive ecosystem that nurtures the ambitions of our participants and connect them to employment opportunities,” MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said of the agreement.
The EPWP has proved fertile ground for the department’s recruitment efforts. To date, 4 000 EPWP participants have passed through the department’s halls, some being permanently recruited.
One of those recruits, Makhosazana Zulu, was recruited as a data capturer in 2021 and is now permanently employed at the Gauteng Department of Health.
“The EPWP initiative provided me with a lot of training opportunities in areas such as project management, records management and advanced computer skills. I have obtained a number of higher certifications which empowered me to become employable,” reports Zulu.
Back in March it was announced that the EPWP would create nearly 400 000 work opportunities before the end of that month. It’s not clear if the programme met this target but given that there hasn’t been a song and dance from government’s end.
In fact, at the end of April, Cyril Ramaphosa noted that, “We are on course to meet the target of five million work opportunities for this fourth phase of the Expanded Public Works Programme.”
Unfortunately, this means that the programme is running overtime as the deadline for the fourth phase of the programme was the end of March.
However, it’s good to see the Gauteng Department of Health investing in skills development that leads to at least some participants landing a permanent job.
