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.