The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) continues to offer socio-economic relief to the poor, unskilled and unemployed South Africans by providing them with work opportunities and income relief thus improving their lives for the better.

The EPWP is aimed at providing work and training opportunities to women, youth and people with disabilities.

EPWP participants take part in various projects implemented by all spheres of government including the state-owned entities, non-profit organisations and community-based organisations.

Thapelo Mokhwane, an EPWP participant from Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality in the North West, participated in the EPWP Environment and Culture waste project in 2021. Through the income she received from the programme, Mokhwane managed to enrol in a security course which she successfully completed and was awarded a Grade C security certificate.

Currently, she is studying towards a Certificate in Education and looking forward to working at an early childhood development centre and live a better life after exiting the programme.

In addition, Edwin Mashalane is one of the many participants of the EPWP Artisan Development Programme, which is currently underway.

Mashalane is based in Mpumalanga for the theoretical and practical training in Diesel Mechanic artisan trade.

He is currently placed at Toyota Middleburg as a diesel mechanic trainee. He is happy with the skills and knowledge that he has acquired from the programme.

Speaking about training opportunities in the EPWP, The Director: Beneficiary Training in the EPWP, Cinderella Makunike, indicated that the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) through its National Skills Fund (NSF) provided funding to the EPWP to train a total of 8 300 EPWP participants in the following:

• Skills Programmes (7 000)

• Learnerships (450)

• Artisan Development (400)

• Capacity Building (450)

To date, through a partnership with Agriculture Sector Education Training Authority (AgriSETA), 362 EPWP participants are in training for artisan development on 18 different trades throughout the country as follows:

• Boilermaker

• Chef

• Diesel Mechanic

• Automotive Mechanic

• Electrician

• Hairdresser

• Fitter and Turner

• Refrigeration Mechanic

• Mechanical Fitter

• Rigger

• Millwright

• Bricklayer

• Plumber

• Instrumentation

• Welder

• Carpentry

• Lift Mechanic

• Fitter

EPWP participants throughout the country have received training on skills programmes such as construction processes, plant production, early childhood development, security practices and many more.

“There are 25 health promotion officers participating in the EPWP learnership in the Free State. They are responsible for community work, assisting in clinics as caregivers, providing care for children and giving non-medical health care support in various health centres in the Free State,” said Makunike.

Source: South African Government News Agency