Employers embrace youth employment, education incentives

Numsa has reportedly invited other unions to join and hopes to draw 500,000 workers into protest marches taking place in seven cities around the country.

According to Rob Johnson, Executive Director of the Master Builders Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC) - a registered trade association for employers in the building industry, "While we agree with NUMSA that youth unemployment still remains far too high, we fully support the Act and see it as beneficial both to the youth and to those that could and do employ them."

He continues, "The tax rebate not only ensures that new entrants are given access into the industry, but is also advantageous in terms of ensuring that youngsters get the training they need as a result of the further learnership and apprenticeship rebates given to their employers."

"In fact," shares Johnson, "we have successfully implemented the tax rebate system at our own offices - enabling us to employ and train several apprentices."

"In order to find constructive solutions to the problem of youth unemployment, there needs to be more conversation between government, employers, unions and employees," concludes Johnson.