By: Lungisa Somtombo
Over a hundred of Buffalo City Metro unemployed youth filled the King Williams Town Hall yesterday, for the unemployed youth seminar hosted by the Department of Economic, Development and Agencies.
The seminar aimed at exposing youth to work opportunities and funding for small businesses was administered by representatives from the Department of Social Development, ECDC, SEDA, NYDA, Harambee, DEDEA, Department of Agriculture, Tourism and Bumb´ingomso.
BCM Enterprise Development Acting Programs Manager Khungeka Somnono said their purpose is to unlock job opportunities for the youth.
Looking at the high rate of unemployment in the Eastern Cape, Somnono said they have two categories for the youth, which are job seekers and present and future entrepreneurs.
“Our objective is to get the database of unemployed youth around the BCM and create programmes to unlock job opportunities,” she said.
Harambee registered those who attended the seminar on their database to help them search for jobs.
Nqaba Sizani from Harambee said they help job seekers by connecting them with people who are looking for entry level workers.
Speaking at the seminar about programmes that agriculture offers for the youth, BCM Agricultural Development Coordinator Mthimkhulu Dike said they offer farmer support program, infrastructure program, skills development program and life dog and crop production program.
“The youth can access these programs by coming directly to us at our offices in King Williams Town and East London,” said Dike.
The audience was given a chance to interact with the speakers and ask questions after each presentation. They asked for government offices to come to King Williams Town as some of them are only in East London and they sometimes do not have the means to go to East London.
NYDA Outreach Officer Zonke Mayekiso explained programs that NYDA offers, which are job preparedness workshop, grant programme for start-up businesses which starts from R1 000 – R100 000, business registration, three-days start-up training about starting businesses.
Trying to bring NYDA offices to King Williams Town residents, Mayekiso said when young people need NYDA services they can write them a letter and arrange a date, and NYDA officials will come to them and use one of the municipal offices to assist them.