The City of Cape Town, in partnership with the African Entrepreneurial Development Company (AEDC), launched a Job Readiness Programme at the Harare Library in Khayelitsha. Through its Cape Town Activa initiative, the City and AEDC will conduct a series of workshops to provide tools to the unemployed so they can successfully find employment.
“This programme is part of our efforts toward building an Opportunity City in which investments grow and jobs can be created. We know that unemployment places enormous stress on individuals, families and communities and contributes to the spiral of poverty so prevalent in economically disadvantaged communities,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning, Councillor Garreth Bloor.
To actively reduce the number of unemployed people in Cape Town, the City’s economic development department offers support to job seekers, with the help of organisations such as AEDC.
“The key to economic development is ensuring access to the market economy through employment opportunities for job seekers and small business support for job creators. We will keep fighting to break down the barriers that prevent economic advancement. In AEDC, we have found a partner that is taking this much-needed initiative into the heart of the communities. We are truly thankful for that,” said Cllr Bloor.
AEDC initiated the job support programme at Cape Town’s Central Library in 2009. It consists of eight modules that are delivered in a series of workshops that focus on CV development, job-hunting skills and mock interviews and, with the help of the Activa Initiative, AEDC is able to introduce the programme to various centres throughout the city.
AEDC will continue with the flagship programme at the Central Library on Saturday mornings, with other libraries in the city, including Bellville, Gugulethu and Kraaifontein introducing it.
