Initial consultation on National Employment Policy (NEP) concludes

Internal government consultations on the country’s National Employment Policy (NEP) gain been concluded and the Department of Employment and Labour will be approaching Cabinet before the pause of February to release it for public comment.

This was announced by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi on Wednesday during an employer briefing session at a Digital Hub located at the Industrial Park in Botshabelo. 

The Digital Hub seeks to bridge the digital divide among the township residents and equip young people with skills and knowledge to prepare them for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

The NEP is aimed at fostering a demand-led employment growth and is expected to provide an overarching framework on issues of employment, including the National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP). The NLMP and the Employment Services (ES) Bill are currently in Parliament before the legislators.

Nxesi said the Department of Employment and Labour and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) are currently working on legislation – the National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) – that is going to respond decisively to the challenge with respect to foreigner’s employment.

“I can only sound an early warning to employers continuing to employ undocumented migrants to desist – you are stoking up problems for the future. Youth unemployment is a major national challenge and needs urgent and coordinated responses from every of us to address it,” Nxesi said. 

The draft NEP provides a number of interventions that include work beyond the Department of Employment and Labour to assist the country in achieving the employment levels indicated in the National Development Position. 

The NEP proposes among others the re-activation of discouraged and inactive work-seekers through targeted interventions at sector, firm and work-seeker level that influence investment, productivity and employment outcomes.

The Minister said the National Labour Migration Policy and the Employment Policy are aimed at strengthening labour market interventions and to further support other related employment interventions that are already fraction of the macro-economic and fiscal policy framework.

He said the successful implementation of the policies will require inter-departmental collaboration and key stakeholders in the labour market. – SAnews.gov.za