Construction Action Lab: Enterprise Development, Skills Development and Youth Employability in the Township Economy

The National Business Initiative (NBI) is managing the Installation, Repair and Maintenance (IRM) Initiative, a national programme to expand skills and employment opportunities across the industrial economy, with a particular focus on the green economy. The IRM Initiative forms part of the Presidential Jobs Summit Framework and aligns with the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, operating across the formal and township economy. Working with Government and industry, the NBI is building a model to unlock real demand for skills and jobs in township communities, through enterprise development, skills development and market linkages into formal sector supply and value chains.

The NBI and the Gauteng Office of the Premier, together with the Public Private Growth Initiative (PPGI) and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator will be convening a Construction Action Lab linked to the significant investment in infrastructure development in Gauteng, over the next few years.

The Action Lab will provide a platform for conducive engagement around leveraging off this investment to ensure that meaningful opportunities are created for the development and growth of township contractors, and simultaneously create scalable training and employment opportunities for local youth.

In order to achieve this, the Action Lab will seek to:

• Understand what is already in place, what is working and can be complemented or further developed, and what is not working and provides important lessons;
• Explore innovative, effective and scalable mechanisms and options for inclusive enterprise development and job creation in township communities;
• Develop a common and actionable approach amongst key stakeholders around how to meaningfully support and enable agreed interventions, including roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder; and
• Provide practical steps for taking the agreed approach forward.

On behalf of the NBI, the Gauteng Office of the Premier, the Public Private Growth Initiative (PPGI) and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, we would like to invite you to participate in the virtual Construction Action Lab.

If you feel you are not the correct person to attend, please forward this invite to the appropriate person in your organisation.

Kindly click Accept should you wish to attend this online session.