![Excited PAY interns and their mentors. Excited PAY interns and their mentors.](https://www.westerncape.gov.za/sites/www.westerncape.gov.za/files/excited_pay_interns_and_their_mentors_.jpg)
Gaining experience in the workplace is one of the main goals of 50 Premier’s Advancement of Youth (PAY) interns who assumed duty at the Department of Transport and Public Works on 13 April 2015.
The PAY internship, which runs from 7 April 2015 to 31 March 2016, will provide 750 matriculants with access to mentoring, career guidance, on-the-job training and skills training in one of the 13 departments of the Western Cape Government. Since it started two years ago, the programme has provided internships to 2 251 young people. Of the 50 matriculants placed in the Department this year, 39 will be working in the Cape Town Metropole and 11 in the various regional offices.
Director of Construction Industry, Innovation and Empowerment at the Department, Pat Jenniker, encouraged the group to make the most of this opportunity.
“The interns will gain a variety of skills through formal and informal training opportunities. They will learn how to manage their time in terms of work and personal life. They will also learn how to network and build relationships within the workplace and how to deal with conflicting situations these relationships can bring about,” said Ms Jenniker.
Interns are looking forward to a year of mentoring and on-the-job training:
Abdul Khaliq (19) from Paarl, who will be working at the Cape Winelands District Roads Engineer’s (DRE) office, says he wants to gain as much experience as possible.
“I want to improve my working relations with people in the work place as well as learning about the importance of time management and working with deadlines,” he said.
Nondumiso Kali (19) from Khayelitsha will be working in the Road Network Management component at the Department.
“I am very grateful for this internship. I really look forward to working in the public sector and to benefit from the mentorship and other opportunities to develop my skills,” she said.
The PAY internship is an important job creation and skills development initiative aimed at providing young people with the opportunity to learn and grow in a working environment.
Byron la Hoe
Communication Officer
Department of Transport and Public Works
Tel: 021 483 9813
E-mail: Byron.laHoe@westerncape.gov.za
You can follow the Department of Transport and Public Works on Twitter: @WCGovTPW