Phase 2 opens for education assistant applications

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As part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (Pes), the Department of Basic Education seeks to provide 287,000 unemployed young people with employment and training opportunities in the education sector.

The initiative seeks to mitigate the devastating economic challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the department said qualifying applicants must currently be between the ages of 18 and 35.

“Youth between the ages of 18 and 35, who are currently neither in education/training, nor receiving any form of government grant, as well as young people with disability and women, are eligible and encouraged to apply for this enriching experience,” the department said.

Candidates who are selected for placement will have an opportunity to receive training on various skills that will equip them for future employment opportunities.

All successful candidates will be placed in schools for five months, from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2022, for the available opportunities in education assistant – curriculum, education assistant - ICT/e-cadres; education assistant - reading champions; general school assistant - child and youth care worker; general school assistant - handyman (no matric required) and general school assistant – sports and enrichment agent (no matric required).

The department said for one to qualify as an education assistant, they must have passed matric English, while an NQF Level 4, 6 and 7 qualification certificate, will be an added advantage.

However, for placement as a general school assistant, a matric certificate is not required for infrastructure support and sports and enrichment agent, although trade certificates will be an added advantage.

“To work in the education environment, you must have a good ability to work with people, and within groups, have good communication skills and be a good listener and have interest in academics,” the department said.

Those who are interested in applying for placement are urged to visit sayouth.mobi to create a profile and submit their application.

The department said that no walk-ins will be allowed in schools due to Covid-19 restrictions, therefore applicants must submit their applications online.

Those who are selected for shortlisting will be required to prepare the following documents:

• CV
• Testimonials (former school, local chief, church leader, etc)
• Police clearance certificates
• Affidavit/Declaration by the applicant stating he/she has no criminal record while awaiting the police clearance
• Certified qualifications such as Matric, (where applicable: NQF Level 4 qualification certificate, for education assistant applicants with
• NQF level 6 and 7 an added advantage)
• Certified copy of identity document/passport

The department said as in Phase I, there will be a strong emphasis on training participants, with a view to adding to their skills set, as well as setting them up for improved employment prospects.

Young people recruited for Phase II of the Basic Education Employment Initiative can expect to receive training in the following areas: e-Cadres/ICT Support, Child and Youth Care Workers (CYCW), Reading Champions, Infrastructure Maintenance, and Sports and Enrichment Agents, which is a new category for recruitment.

The department said that approximately 300,000 young people participated in Phase I of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), which was successfully implemented from 1 December 2020 until 31 April 2021 in the basic education sector.

“Phase II will focus on addressing the reduction of youth unemployment, as the data collected throughout the initiative has shown that most of the young people are unemployed graduates, who lack the relevant experience to propel them to employment,” the department said.

The department said the BEEI initiative will go a long way in assisting the department to mitigate the unfortunate fallout from the Covid-19 academic disruptions the sector experienced since the first 2020 national lockdown.

“Phase II will also provide experiential learning, whilst ensuring that those who studied Education or are interested in Education as a field of study, will be directed to paths that will lead them back to the sector,” the department said.