South
Africa: SA, Cuba agree to train unemployed
youth
BuaNews (Tshwane). Posted
on 3 September 2007, allafrica.com.
/
Thapelo Sakoana
Pretoria
South Africa and Cuba have signed a co-operation
agreement that will benefit many unemployed
young people, by training them n the field
of social development.
South African Minister of Social Development
Zola Skweyiya and Cuban Minister of Labour
and Social Security, Alfredo Morales Cartaya,
have signed an agreement of co-operation
in the areas of poverty alleviation and
training of social service professionals.
As part of the agreements, the Department
of Social Development in South Africa will
collaborate with the Cuban Ministry to train
unemployed youth as auxiliary social workers.
"The department of Social Development
has to train and absorb 9360 auxiliary social
workers by 2010," said the department
on Monday.
The department explained that Cuba has
developed a two-pronged work training programme
consisting of a formal university level
program and a rapid 12 months social work
training program.
As part of the implementation of the agreement,
the Cuban programme will be replicated in
South Africa to alleviate the shortage of
social workers and create much needed jobs
as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme.
The department also said it would embark
on a national recruitment programme focusing
on youth from rural and poor communities.
Dr Skweyiya is currently in Cuba to strengthen
ties with that country and explore further
areas of co-operation.
"The youth will be trained and on
completion be deployed in their communities
to help us deal with the various social
challenges such assisting orphans and vulnerable
children, alleviating the HIV and AIDS impact
vulnerable youth support and others.
"A rapid auxiliary social worker training
program will surely help us deal with the
critical shortages of social workers,"
said Dr Skweyiya.
The two countries would work together in
fields of comprehensive social security
as well as services to women, youth and
children community development initiatives.
The cooperation with Cuba would also include
study tours and exchanges of technical expertise
on policy development.
|