Government is set to unveil the Future of Work Ambassadors Programme for young graduates in a hybrid event in Pretoria on Friday, July 1, 2022.
The initiative that seeks to reimagine government graduate recruitment drive is a partnership between the DPSA, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the Public Sector Education Authority (PSETA) and the United National Development Programme (UNDP).
The programme will see placement of the first cohort of 33 young graduates on internship programme across selected national and provincial departments for a duration of 24 months.
During the program, participants will be provided with practical experience and be capacitated with skills and training including exposure to international peer learning to complement their academic credentials.
Earlier this month on Youth Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, which is a comprehensive response to the youth unemployment challenge.
In November last year, DPSA Director-General, Ms Yoliswa Makhasi hosted a Thinking Forum which looked at youth representivity, inclusivity and breaking barriers to entry for new entrants and for the youth into SMS.
The Thinking Forum is a platform established by Ms Makhasi for consultations across the DPSA without regard to level or seniority to maximise harvesting of views held by employees.
The Think Forum was followed by the National Indaba on the Future of Work and Public Service Regulations, which sought to seek strategic and programmatic approach to addressing the challenges identified by the youth and experts during the Webinar and the Thinking Forum.
Stemming from this National Indaba, the DPSA has pursued a few initiatives aimed at institutionalising the Future of Work. One of these initiatives is the Future of Work Ambassadors Programme.
The Future of Work Ambassadors Programme forms part of the DPSA’s initiatives to practically support the ideals envisioned in Chapter 13 of the National Development Plan and Priority 1 of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework i.e. a capable, ethical and developmental state.
The Future of Work was conceptualised in response to challenges facing the public service such as:
- The aging public service workforce;
- Erosion of institutional knowledge;
- Lack of integration of young people especially at the senior management level;
- The need to entice young professionals (with much needed skills) to consider government;
- The need to entice young people to establish long-term careers within the public service;
- The need for the recalibration of leadership, ethical culture and constitutional values in the public service;
- The need to develop progressive ways of thinking and innovative problem-solving;
- Modernisation of the public service; and
- The need to realise a public service that is future-fit and fit for purpose.
