Young people can now apply to be part of the YearBeyond Programme, run by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport. PICTURE: PIXABAY
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, through its Youth and After School Programme Office, is calling for unemployed youth, aged 18-25, to apply to be part of the YearBeyond youth service programme for 2024.
The department says applications for the education programmes are now open for youth living in the Western and Eastern Cape who meet the criteria. All the education programmes require a matric certificate and some require minimum marks for Language or Maths.
The YearBeyond programme offers young people the opportunity to get a year of hands-on working experience and build their work readiness competencies, while also giving back to their communities. Commonly known as YeBoneers, successful applicants will be placed either at a school or community hub where they will assist learners and parents.
The Eastern Cape programme is run with funding from the National Government and facilitated by the Western Cape YearBeyond team. The opportunity to provide youth in the Eastern Cape with this experience is an important part of skills development beyond the Western Cape.
The success of the programme is evident as seen from the feedback received from previous years. A total of 96% of participants believe the experience helped them to get to know themselves better and 95% feel the programmed prepared them better for the world of work and study.
Encouragingly, between 75% and 78% of Yeboneers have progressed to becoming economically active in the world of employment or study, or a combination of the two, upon finishing the programme.
Minister Anroux Marais, said: “I encourage our young people to apply for this opportunity. It is a great programme for our youth which equips them with skills for entering the world of work or study. We want to give our youth a hand up to become successful and active members of society who contribute not only to the economy, but also serve their communities.”
Applications and more information on the education streams are now open on the website at www.yearbeyond.org/apply.
Applications close on Sunday February 18.