State of the Nation Address 2022
State of the Nation Address 2022
Overview of the PYEI
By the end of the first quarter in 2022, 46% of people between 15 and 34 years of age remained outside of employment, education and training. The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) is South Africa's most comprehensive effort yet to address this crisis. Its goal is to move young people successfully from learning to earning. To this end, the intervention brings together the strengths of numerous government institutions and social partners to deliver more opportunities for young people. It seeks to coordinate, accelerate and enhance existing programmes. The PYEI also drives innovation and creates pathways to earning for young people at scale.
One network, four components, five sectors
Central to the PYEI's efforts is the establishment of a National Pathway Management Network (NPMN) that guides young people towards opportunities for training, work experience and income. Next to the NPMN, other PYEI components include:
-
the enabling of local ecosystems to facilitate self-employment and enterprise opportunities; and
-
the revitalisation of the National Youth Service (NYS).
Interventions focus on priority growth areas with employment potential for young people. These are: digital, technology and global business services; agriculture; installation repairs and maintenance; social services; and the automotive sector. Implementation progress across all components is monitored continuously.
Achieving more together
The PYEI is delivered through a partnership approach. A Project Management Office (PMO) in the Presidency is responsible for overall coordination and strategic oversight. Key government departments lead implementation, and the private sector, academia, development partners and civil society support the different components. The National Treasury allocates funding for PYEI activities. This includes dedicated funding for innovative approaches and key PYEI elements such as the NPMN. In addition, the PYEI improves the alignment of sustainably funded activities across departments (such as those for skills development) to achieve more with existing resources.
The PYEI links closely with the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES), Operation Vulindlela and other interventions coordinated by the PMO in the Presidency to create employment opportunities and drive structural reforms that enable business and job creation.
