Thokoza - Gauteng Premier Mbazima Shilowa has called on young people to get into the volunteerism programme to learn foreign languages ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.
Speaking Saturday at the launch of the provincial National Youth Service (NYS) Premier Shilowa said the youth needed to learn languages such as Portuguese and French to be able to be part of the historic hosting of the world's greatest sporting event.
"Many people will be coming here and will not be speaking your language, it is therefore important that you get these language skills to assist the country deliver the successful world cup," he said.
Premier Shilowa has emphasised youth development as one of the fundamental tentacles of the socio-economic and political transformation of the country, saying the NYS was critical to fulfilling this.
"The National Youth Service Programme is set to play a pivotal role in providing the skills needed to achieve the economic growth in South Africa. It is a way of calling young people into action," he said.
As a presidential initiative the NYS, said Mr Shilowa, affirms government's commitment to attend to the needs of the youth such as the lack of skills and unemployment.
The NYS Programme is aimed at generating opportunities for young people to contribute to the development of their communities through service while acquiring skills and experience to enable them to become productive citizens.
The programme further seeks to tackle unemployment and inculcate a culture of nation building and service amongst the youth.
Sibongile Tshabalala, 31, from Vosloorus in Ekurhuleni is one of the beneficiaries of the programme.
She told BuaNews that she had gained several crucial skills and was working on starting her own business.
"I have been volunteering to do home-based health care for a while even before I joined the NYS Programme.
"After joining the programme I also gained skills in the construction industry and I have just completed the tiling course," she said.
Ms Tshabalala said she would start her own business once she was fully prepared.
"I'm very much interested in starting my business in the construction industry. It is easy when you are within the NYS programme because we are being introduced to the institutions such as the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and Khula Enterprise to enable us to start our close corporations," she said.
She added that these institutions were also offering helpful workshops giving them direction on how to start, manage and sustain a business.
Gauteng Youth Commission (GYC) chairperson Lebogang Maile said skills development remained one of the most important elements of youth development and was key in ensuring that young people became productive, economically viable and self-reliant citizens.
"We believe that the NYS programme will give young people the platform to be self-reliant citizens. It will also help them to realise their potential and contribute to the development of their communities," said Mr Maile.
Speaking Saturday at the launch of the provincial National Youth Service (NYS) Premier Shilowa said the youth needed to learn languages such as Portuguese and French to be able to be part of the historic hosting of the world's greatest sporting event.
"Many people will be coming here and will not be speaking your language, it is therefore important that you get these language skills to assist the country deliver the successful world cup," he said.
Premier Shilowa has emphasised youth development as one of the fundamental tentacles of the socio-economic and political transformation of the country, saying the NYS was critical to fulfilling this.
"The National Youth Service Programme is set to play a pivotal role in providing the skills needed to achieve the economic growth in South Africa. It is a way of calling young people into action," he said.
As a presidential initiative the NYS, said Mr Shilowa, affirms government's commitment to attend to the needs of the youth such as the lack of skills and unemployment.
The NYS Programme is aimed at generating opportunities for young people to contribute to the development of their communities through service while acquiring skills and experience to enable them to become productive citizens.
The programme further seeks to tackle unemployment and inculcate a culture of nation building and service amongst the youth.
Sibongile Tshabalala, 31, from Vosloorus in Ekurhuleni is one of the beneficiaries of the programme.
She told BuaNews that she had gained several crucial skills and was working on starting her own business.
"I have been volunteering to do home-based health care for a while even before I joined the NYS Programme.
"After joining the programme I also gained skills in the construction industry and I have just completed the tiling course," she said.
Ms Tshabalala said she would start her own business once she was fully prepared.
"I'm very much interested in starting my business in the construction industry. It is easy when you are within the NYS programme because we are being introduced to the institutions such as the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and Khula Enterprise to enable us to start our close corporations," she said.
She added that these institutions were also offering helpful workshops giving them direction on how to start, manage and sustain a business.
Gauteng Youth Commission (GYC) chairperson Lebogang Maile said skills development remained one of the most important elements of youth development and was key in ensuring that young people became productive, economically viable and self-reliant citizens.
"We believe that the NYS programme will give young people the platform to be self-reliant citizens. It will also help them to realise their potential and contribute to the development of their communities," said Mr Maile.
- By Themba Gadebe, BuaNews
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