The Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) Human Resource Development (HRD) Unit recruited 400 unemployed graduates and sourced 187 graduates from Education, Training and Development Practice Authority (ETDP-SETA) and 48 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) learners for the period of 12 months

This was announced by the Skills Development Committee from HRD Lukhanyo Sidiya during her presentation on Skills Development Report in Port Alfred recently.With a wealth of information that was presented by her, the statistics, challenges, recommendations and overall performance with regards to skills planning and development for the first and second quarter of 2017/2018. The report also included the detailed information on internships and learnerships that the department recruited in 2017/2018 year plan.

According to the Skills Development Report, the purpose of internships and learnership in the department is to identify, prioritise, plan and design key programmes according to the needs of the workplace and also to ensure the smooth management of the internship programme in the ECDoE.

She mentioned in her presentation that the sub-committee had managed to successfully influence recruitment of 400 unemployed graduated that are financed directly by the ECDoE and are placed across the districts in the Eastern Cape, 187 sourced from Education, Training and Development Practice Authority (ETDP SETA) and 48 ICT Learnership for the period of 12 months.

The main aim to appoint & place these unemployed graduates across the provinceis to assist in elimination of unemployment and eradicate poverty in the province. The 187 ETDP SETA Internsare directly financed by ETDP SETA and hosted by the ECDoE across the Education district, 30 in HRD Offices, 50 at special schools and 100 were placed at the head office in all directorates.

An additional 500 interns were placed in Mt Frere and Libode districts to assist in administration work at main stream schools. The department has contracted also Information Resources and Centreto train 49 unemployed youth on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to assist with school administration in Engcobo and Cofimvaba areas.

HRD is also financing a learnership programme for Inclusive Education where 50 unemployed youth have been placed in special schools as Teacher Assistant Aide.