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26 October 2007

North West Premier, Edna Molewa has urged young people across the province to apply for bursaries for them to get expertise in areas of identified priority skills so that they can rid the country of the current challenge of skills shortage.

Addressing an Imbizo at Maquassi Hills Local Municipality on Thursday, the Premier said young people who did not pursue their education beyond matric should not be preoccupied about getting jobs while they had an option of furthering their studies.

Young people had raised concerns in the Imbizo about unemployment, with most of them highlighting that they sought jobs from the local municipality.

In this context, the Premier said although it was within young people's rights to look for jobs, it was overly advisable for them to consider advancing their education and improving their skills in a quest for a sustainable better life in future.

Ms Molewa acknowledged that the country depended on the education, skills and expertise of young people to grow its economy beyond current growth rates in a bid to create even more jobs for the entire population.

"I encourage you to go to school. There are bursaries in the Office of the Premier, you must apply. We want to produce engineers, medical doctors, accountants, artisans and other critical professions among you," she said.

The Premier therefore called on all students who reside in the North West to apply for full-time study bursaries for the 2008 academic year.

The bursaries would be granted within the context of government's Human Resource Development Strategy and the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy.

These bursaries will benefit the financially needy and academically deserving students of this province.

The bursary would allow for students to choose their academic fields of interest which, among other, include civil engineering, economics, accounting, mechanical engineering, radiography, pharmacy, traffic management, electrical engineering, occupational therapy, aviation management, pilot, quantity surveying, agricultural science, paramedics, tourism development, physiotherapy, geology, metallurgy and mine surveying.

The closing date for the submission of application forms is 31 October 2007.

Application forms can be obtained from labour centres, municipal offices, tribal authority offices, high schools and tertiary institutions.

Completed application forms together with certified copies of required documents should be forwarded to the Bursary Office, Second Floor, Mmabatho Post Office or send to Bursaries Sub-Directorate, Office of the Premier, Private Bag X129, Mmabatho, 2735

Fighting poverty and unemployment

Premier Edna Molewa urged all sectors of the community in the Southern District Municipality, including women and youth, to unite and start their own projects that will generate more jobs and income for local people.

This, she explained, would go a long way in dealing with the culture of dependency on government for jobs.

In this regard, the Premier said government has put in place advisory and funding institutions to assist people who come up with good ideas aimed and fighting poverty and creating jobs.

"I have no doubt in my mind that the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) can help you in terms of how to develop a winning business plan should you unite and come up with brilliant ideas," she said.

MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Ndleleni Duma said the culture of pointing fingers at each other between the people and government would not bring poverty and unemployment to an abrupt end.

"Young people, for instance, must stand up and approach government to say here is a programme in the municipality or the provincial government, how do we then benefit.

"But this cannot be done if you are not organised," she said.

This self-initiative attitude, he explained, would broaden the knowledge of young people in ensuring that they don't just eye jobs in municipalities.

Enquiries:
Cornelius Tanana Monama
Spokesperson: North West Provincial Government
Tel: 018 387 3456
Cell: 082 578 4063

Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
26 October 2007