Deputy Chairperson, the Masupatsela Youth Pioneer Programme is not a direct job-creating programme. It is a value-based youth development programme that aims to skill and to also develop young people in order for them to be patriotic to their country, South Africa, and also to prepare them to become cadres for social change here in this country.
For the period between 30 May 2009 and 15 May 2010, the programme called the Masupatsela Youth Pioneer Programme has recruited, as I indicated in this august House during the Budget Vote, some 2 099 pioneers who have so far been trained. The number of those already trained and skilled, who have gone through the programme certification and are currently about to receive their certificates, stands at 1 784.
The Masupatsela Youth Pioneer Programme is being pioneered together with the Department of Higher Education and Training because these certificates are issued by universities - the University of the Free State in particular - which ensure that the training is of a good quality.
These Masupatsela youth are already involved in activities that are quite developmental in nature, ranging from household profiling, which we do under the antipoverty strategy, to the registration of early child development sites and involvement in Operation Hlasela. Those who come from the Free State province will understand the importance of this programme. They are also engaged in the Social Relief of Distress rogramme as part of ensuring that they gain practical experience working within our communities.
They have also participated in several programmes within the department, which led to some of them being employed permanently as we speak. The programme has also created some 115 jobs nationally for unemployed graduates who have been employed and trained as mentors of a pioneer on a contract of about three years.
In response to this question, I have decided to table a very clear report through a database - it is quite long - that indicates our achievements, where these young people are placed, the opportunities they have been exposed to and so on and so forth. It will be attached to the response, and that will be circulated. Thank you, hon Deputy Chair.
Below is a database of achievements per province: