The Rockefeller Foundation has granted SA’s EOH $1 million to accelerate job creation in the ICT sector for South Africa’s disadvantaged youth in support of EOH’s Youth Job Creation Initiative that launched in 2012.
This grant is also under Rockefeller Foundation’s Digital Jobs Africa initiative which is targeting to impact 1 million people in six countries in Africa via ICT-enabled employment opportunities in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.
“Digital skills are fast becoming a requirement for gaining well paid employment, and ICT-powered jobs are critical in helping young people develop the required skills for the jobs of today and the future. We are pleased to support EOH in this venture to scale up jobs for South Africa’s youth in the sector, and look forward to seeing the young people’s lives , as well as their communities, improved due to their accessing these opportunities’ said Mamadou Biteye, Managing Director, Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office.
EOH will use the funds under the Youth Job Creation Initiative and place 1 750 unemployed youth in a Work Readiness Programme in 2014. The youth will be given theory training and given internships at EOH partners or clients, giving them work experience and increasing their chance to get employment.
“It is our experience that once companies are involved and have experienced the initiative they will stay involved, thereby allowing us to scale up the initiative exponentially. It has also been proven that a young person with one year’s work experience has an 80% chance of remaining in the formal working sector for the remainder of their career lives, it’s not only good for business, but good for society,” said Asher Bohbot, EOH CEO.
ICT in Africa is expected to spur job creation for youth by enhancing interaction between youth and its customers, business partners and Government.