The Deputy Minister for the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Mcebisi Skwatsha, today (06 December 2018) presided over a graduation ceremony that was held at SAS Saldanha Naval Base in Saldanah Bay to honour the National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC) participants who underwent Youth Leadership Development Programme.
A total of 717 NARYSEC participants from Limpopo, North West, Free State, Gauteng, Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, graduated. The youth reported to the NARYSEC Thaba „Nchu College where they first went through orientation and induction focusing on political education, life skills and career information and guidance. After undergoing orientation the group split for the next phase of the training programme. 139 Youth remained in Thaba „Nchu whilst 578 youth went to SAS Saldanha Naval Base in the Western Cape. All participants who went to Saldanha underwent a very stringent youth leadership development programme. The youth leadership development focused on leadership, teamwork, entrepreneurship, community development and first aid programmes.
The NARYSEC programme is implemented by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and is intended to contribute towards the state‟s broader skills development initiatives for the country‟s youth.
During his speech Deputy Minister Skwatsha said that youth development and employment is at the cornerstone of economic transformation and by implementing the NARYSEC programme, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform is therefore in support of youth development thereby addressing the challenges of unemployment in the country.
“NARYSEC is therefore one of the flagship programmes of our department aimed at providing our rural young people with appropriate knowledge, skills, values and attitudes which allow them to transform their own lives and those of their families,” he said.
Deputy Minister Skwatsha further mentioned that the youth who graduated today have all been recruited from disadvantage communities. He mentioned that moving forward the participants will now be skilled with the required skills needed so that they can benefit from the economic opportunities created by Agri-parks in terms of starting small businesses, finding employment and further studies.
“The clarion call of government is job creation for young people. The NARYSEC programme therefore forms a critical part of the outputs for which the department is responsible, like attaining national food security through Agri-parks,” he concluded.
Issued by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform Enquiries: Ms Phuti Mabelebele - Director: Strategic Communications |Tel: +27 12 312 8909 | Cell: 076 402 7521or | Eviction Toll-free Number 0800 007 095 I Phuti.Mabelebele@drdlr.gov.za. I www.drdlr.gov.za
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