1200 youths to benefit from FTLM’s youth empowerment programs

FETAKGOMO-TUBATSE

To combat unemployment and poverty in Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM), mayor Eddie Maila confirmed the municipality has made available more than 700 opportunities to mitigate climate change and greening of local communities.

Maila was speaking at a packed Mapodile Stadium in Longtill, Steelpoort on February 12. The R36 million programme will see young people

participating in the following sectors: occupational health and safety, waste management campaigners, forestry monitors, river rangers, climate change ambassadors and many more.

According to Maila, in 2023, during the State of the Local Municipality Address (SOLMA), at Maakubu Village, a commitment was made that the FTLM will avail 500 opportunities for young people in the form of experiential learning and internship.

“Today we can proudly announce that the commitment made is now a reality. We can state that through our partnership with the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, more than 700 opportunities to mitigate climate change and greening of our communities have been made available. FTLM has surpassed the target of 500 because, today we are unveiling 1200 cohorts in both mayoral flagship and youth empowerment programs.”

He added, “We are breaking grounds because it is for the first time in the history of this municipality that 1200 people are given opportunities that will change their lives forever. These opportunities will be available for the next 18 months and we further commit that some of the cohorts will leave the program with qualification that will help them to enter the job market.”
He said the biggest challenges in the FTLM is unemployment, poverty, and social inequality, He reiterated that the FTLM will play its part in ensuring that these challenges are confronted.
“Our vision is to build a city and that objective cannot be realised if our economy is not growing to accommodate unemployed young people. We will continue to engage the private sector, especially the local mines as the key economic drivers to partner with the municipality to create opportunities for job creation and skills development to empower young people.”
He said the intervention with the Mayoral Flagship programme is not permanent but an activity that will help others to be employed permanently in the municipality and other sectors, in future.
Maila said since the beginning of the 2023/24 financial year, the FTLM has employed more than 40 people permanently in various positions and many are youth.

“We have further advertised 70 posts which closed on January 22, 2024, and this demonstrates our commitment to reduce unemployment and poverty amongst young people. It has never happened that a Municipality like ours, can in a space of 12 months employ over 110 people on a permanent basis.”

He called upon the cohorts that were unveiled in the programme to make the best out of the service which they are going to render to the public.

“Those who are in the greening sector, we want to see change in the outlook of our villages in terms of cleanliness and tidiness. We must declare that our
municipality will be clean to mitigate the effects of climate change in the environment. Those who will be based in office, we want to see you servicing our communities with commitment, dedication, and patriotism. We do not tolerate laziness but expect respect and obedience to the public and the authority.”

Concluding his speech, Maila said, “The success of this programme and its future depend on your attitude on the work given. We want to see most of you employed in other sectors and this will encourage others to join in and increase the pool of our intakes.”

The beneficiaries applauded the municipality and the national government for bestowing them with opportunities. A delighted Sarah Nkadimeng said they will respect their superiors and honour their contracts. ” This is an opportunity of a lifetime for us. We will cherish it, and learn from the jobs, to become better people. We will use this platform to start our careers, and improve for the better.” They all thanked the FTLM for investing in the youth.