Over the past five years, the Public Service has recruited 122 398 interns, and 12 098 of them secured permanent employment, while 1 594 were contracted after their internships, said Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Ms. Noxolo Kiviet, in an oral reply to a parliamentary question on March 13, 2024.
The data that the Minister shared in her comprehensive reply to the parliamentary question covered the internship opportunities created by national and provincial departments. Over the past five years, national departments have hired over 31,000 interns, with just over 10,000 finding employment afterwards. The Eastern Cape Province recruited the biggest number of interns, at 19,791, while the Northern Cape Province had the least number of recruits over the five years, according to the data,
“To mainstream youth employment, the draft Directive on Developmental programmes urges departments to set aside 10% of their vacancy rate for the appointment of youth. Furthermore, the DPSA, in partnership with PSETA (Public Service Education and Training Authority), plans to undertake a track and trace research study to explore the impact and effectiveness of the internship programme,” Minister Kiviet explained.
During the parliamentary oral reply, the Minister also addressed a question on removing the requirement for experience in the recruitment for entry-level positions in the Public Service, as per the Directive on Human Resources Management and Development for Public Service Professionalisation.
She assured parliament that the provisions of the Directive are closely monitored by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA).
“To this end, the Department verifies job listings before their inclusion in the Public Service Vacancy Circular, ensuring they conform to the Directive’s stipulations. Furthermore, the Department has partnered with the Auditor General of South Africa to monitor the implementation of these norms and standards, ensuring rigorous enforcement and adherence,” she reported.
