This Youth Month, 30 young people in the Free State received their certificates for completing a six- month comprehensive training programme in cellphone repairs.
The certification ceremony took place on 20 June at the Phillip Sanders Resort in Bloemfontein in partnership with the Free State Department of Economic Development and Tourism (Destea), National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA), Vaal University of Technology, and National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).
According to Destea, the initiative is to empower youth to work as certified cellphone technicians.
Destea MEC Ketso Makume explained collaborations with the private sector will give the department a platform to upskill young people. These initiatives are aimed at responding to the pressing challenges of youth unemployment.
“This is in line with the department’s broader efforts to capacitate youth and SMMEs to become self-employed using the knowledge, skills, and resources provided to them,” said Makume.
Participants from disadvantaged backgrounds were trained for six weeks, and received the following:
- Certificate of competence
- A cellphone repair toolkit and tablet
- Assistance with registering a business
- Extra one week, start your business training by NYDA
Compiled by Gypseenia Lion
