The City of Ekurhuleni has set its sights on achieving an 80% internal workforce through a recently strengthened partnership aimed at advancing youth skills development.
The city manager, Kagiso Lerutla, accompanied by heads of department, recently met representatives of Ekurhuleni West College (EWC) at the OR Tambo Government Precinct to discuss a new initiative aimed at empowering the youth of Ekurhuleni through skills development.
A key topic of discussion was amending the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and EWC to expand opportunities for graduates, particularly in technical and engineering fields.
Under the revised MOU, the city manager stated that graduates from these disciplines will be placed at various city workshops and departments as part of a comprehensive apprenticeship programme, which is in line with his legacy programme, Fixing The Frontline, of ensuring that 80% of the city work is done by the City employees.
Frank Duarte, the deputy principal responsible for partnerships at EWC, shared his enthusiasm about this progressive move.
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“We’ve already seen many young people gain meaningful employment in the city after receiving training and development in the administrative fields,” said Duarte.
“Today, we are turning the page to an exciting new chapter, where our youth with technical and engineering skills will have the chance to apply their knowledge in real-world settings.
“This partnership marks a significant milestone in ensuring the development of our young people and the growth of our city’s workforce.”
“The enhanced partnership will not only offer valuable hands-on experience but will also support the City’s commitment to building a skilled workforce, enhancing technical capacities, and maintaining infrastructure for the future,” said Duarte.
The revisions to the existing MOU will be implemented through an annexure, following comprehensive internal audits to identify the specific technical skills needed to uplift the youth and accelerate the City’s growth and innovation.
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