Kgathi decries view that internship programme is exploitative
Gothataone Moeng | Wednesday April 2, 2014 10:31
Speaking at the handover of the NIP from the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs (MLHA) to his ministry, Kgathi said he is worried about the common perception that the programme is a source of cheap labour.
The programme, started in August 2008, is targeted at unemployed graduates and aims to develop and transfer skills for youth employability, and by so doing, provide a seamless integration of graduates into the economy. As of yesterday (April 1), the programme will be administered under the MYSC, and will be aligned with other programmes under the ministry’s Youth Empowerment Scheme.
Kgathi said yesterday that with the move to his ministry he hopes to make the programme enviable, such that young people will want to be associated with it. He condemned those who dismiss the programme as exploitative, saying that they are “myopic and narrow” in their thinking.
Kgathi also said his ministry hopes to drive the sector into taking part in the internship programme, as part of their social responsibility programmes. For his part, the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Edwin Batshu said since inception of the programme, about 8,758 unemployed tertiary education graduates have been offered internship in all sectors of the economy through the programme.
“I am happy to say that 6,358 interns have been offered permanent employment since inception of the programme to date, which constitutes a 73 percent absorption,” he said.
Batshu said the government is in the process of developing the National Internship and Apprenticeship Policy. A consultant contracted to develop the policy has already started work through financial and technical assistance from the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC).
It is anticipated that the policy will be completed by June 2014, he said. At least 54 staffers, 42 employed, 12 interns, are expected to move with the programme to the MYSC.