Sewing the seeds of job creation – 22 learners placed in skills programme

Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, accompanied by officials from the Skills Development and Innovation Programme within Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT), visited K-Way and Green Thread factories this week to meet some of the 22 learners gaining invaluable work-place experience in the clothing manufacturing sector.

“While the Western Cape has the lowest unemployment rate in South Africa, the fact remains that far too many people are not able to find work. At the same time, I often hear from businesses that they struggle to find employees with the right skills they need. This is where DEDAT comes in, to provide a critical link between the needs of industry, academia, and unemployed young people.” said Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger.

Working with the private sector, DEDAT runs various programmes in the Cape Town metropolitan area, as well as various rural towns such as Darling, Caledon and Atlantis, aimed at providing opportunities to unemployed young people.

By funding monthly stipends, topped up by the respective companies, unemployed young people are given the opportunity to receive a combination of structured or accredited training coupled with on-the-job experiential workplace exposure from between 4 to 12 months.

Companies are then required to provide either permanent or contract work to between 70% and 80% of those trained, depending on the needs of the company, with 100% of learners placed in some cases.

For the financial year 2023/2034, the project aims to support to up to 200 beneficiaries that receive workplace experiential learning and training on various interventions that will differ across the various occupational fields and employers.

Minister Wenger continued, “It was such a pleasure to meet with some of the young interns at both the K-Way and Green Thread factories. They are doing some impressive work and coming up with stunning designs. I was also very heartened by the overarching philosophy of ‘People First’ so evident in my conversations with all the senior staff at both factories, as well as the deep commitment to working for a better tomorrow.”

K-Way's Sewing School prides itself on providing opportunities for unemployed people to learn a trade and become machinists in the factory. New recruits are exposed to an entire year of training and learn ‘from the ground up’, from where fabrics start, how to operate machines efficiently, and most importantly, how to perform each garment process in the factory.

Whereas K-Way Manufacturers produces the more technical K-Way branded products, Green Thread Manufacturers produces clothing under the Poetry and Old Khaki brands.  The Group’s goal is to produce 65% of its products locally by 2030. The Group’s Design Studio is a creative hub facilitating the growth of local clothing design and production and has created over 300 jobs in the manufacturing field over the past four years.

“We are very mindful of the high unemployment rate in our country and this partnership with DEDAT will not only provide critical skills and knowledge to our learners but will also foster employment opportunities for future growth” said Belinda Wolffe, Cape Union Mart Group Manufacturing HR Manager.

“The Western Cape Government is deeply committed to increasing employment, especially among the youth. Through internships, young people develop the relevant and appropriate experience and skills required by industry. By working with the private sector and with tertiary institutions we can address the skills gap and provide many more opportunities.” concluded Minister Wenger.