Youth Employment Services (YES) Initiative
More than one in every three young people in South Africa are unemployed. The Youth Employment Service (YES) Initiative is the product of the private sector engaging with government to find workable solutions to this youth unemployment dilemma. As a business, it can also help you improve your BEE contribution levels.
You are in good company
Implement the Y.E.S initiative
Through Y.E.S, youth will have the opportunity to develop skills and gain experience – becoming more employable, and being afforded an increased opportunity to become productive contributors to our economy.
For employing businesses, the Y.E.S Initiative enables up to two BEE contribution levels for enhanced BEE status recognition if youth job creation targets are met.
- Nation building impact and reduced unemployment
- Enhanced BEE contribution level recognition
- Unlocking a ‘future talent’ pipeline
Enhanced recognition
Companies can increase their BEE contribution recognition level:
- 1 level for meeting the youth employment target and 2.5% absorption
- 1 level +3 points for 1.5 x youth employment target and 5% absorption
- 2 levels for doubling the youth employment target and 5% absorption
The youth employment target is based on the higher of:
- 1.5% of headcount
- 1.5% of NPAT / R55,000; or
- As determined by a table based on revenue
Eligible participants are between the ages of 18 and 35 and meet the definition of Black people as per the BEE Act.
5 phase approach to Y.E.S
- Training: delivered to both the senior management team and the BEE team in your organization, this assists your business prepare for implementing Y.E.S in line with best practice. We propose two half day sessions. One for the senior management team and the other for the BEE team
- Modelling: this involves understanding how many Y.E.S candidates are required as per the specified dti criterion. You will also receive access to Transcend’s Y.E.S modelling tool during training session
On confirmation of Y.E.S go-ahead, we will support you through necessary registration with the Y.E.S Initiative Management Company.
The next important step in the starting phases of implementing Y.E.S in your business is recruitment and hosting. This phase involves:
- candidate recruitment and registration – we will assist with finding suitable Y.E.S candidates, and will register them, as necessary, with the Y.E.S Initiative Management Company;
- internal hosting – the ideal placement of Y.E.S candidates is within your business before looking at external hosting. We work with you to assess the optimal balance for your business; and
- external hosting – where external hosting is required, we will facilitate the process of identifying and engaging appropriate hosts, and placing the Y.E.S candidates.
The key focus of the Y.E.S Initiative is work readiness, sustainable training and implementing youth development programmes. This phase involves:
- candidate work readiness – we will conduct work readiness training for the candidates applying our work readiness models; and
- employer readiness – you as the host employer will receive guidance in order to realise a smooth 12-month programme.
One of the requirements of the Y.E.S Initiative is for businesses to monitor the performance of the candidates. This phase involves:
- candidate monitoring – we will partner with you to monitor the performance of each candidate;
- monthly reporting – you will receive monthly or quarterly reports depending on your requirements; and
- annual reporting – you will also receive a summarised annual report at the end of the programme.
We will facilitate the close-out phase, which involves:
- absorption analysis – review of absorption targets, and engagement with you and external hosts to assess Y.E.S candidate absorption opportunities;
- scorecard impact assessment – we provide you with a pre-audit enhanced recognition realization assessment;
- close-out meetings with you – review of your Y.E.S programme success, expected scorecard impact, and preliminary planning for the following year;
- close-out meetings with external hosts – review of Y.E.S programme success, and possible future participation; and
- close-out meetings with candidates – review of their learnings and experience, and discussion of next steps.
- Training: delivered to both the senior management team and the BEE team in your organization, this assists your business prepare for implementing Y.E.S in line with best practice. We propose two half day sessions. One for the senior management team and the other for the BEE team
- Modelling: this involves understanding how many Y.E.S candidates are required as per the specified dti criterion. You will also receive access to Transcend’s Y.E.S modelling tool during training session
On confirmation of Y.E.S go-ahead, we will support you through necessary registration with the Y.E.S Initiative Management Company.
The next important step in the starting phases of implementing Y.E.S in your business is recruitment and hosting. This phase involves:
- candidate recruitment and registration – we will assist with finding suitable Y.E.S candidates, and will register them, as necessary, with the Y.E.S Initiative Management Company;
- internal hosting – the ideal placement of Y.E.S candidates is within your business before looking at external hosting. We work with you to assess the optimal balance for your business; and
- external hosting – where external hosting is required, we will facilitate the process of identifying and engaging appropriate hosts, and placing the Y.E.S candidates.
The key focus of the Y.E.S Initiative is work readiness, sustainable training and implementing youth development programmes. This phase involves:
- candidate work readiness – we will conduct work readiness training for the candidates applying our work readiness models; and
- employer readiness – you as the host employer will receive guidance in order to realise a smooth 12-month programme.
One of the requirements of the Y.E.S Initiative is for businesses to monitor the performance of the candidates. This phase involves:
- candidate monitoring – we will partner with you to monitor the performance of each candidate;
- monthly reporting – you will receive monthly or quarterly reports depending on your requirements; and
- annual reporting – you will also receive a summarised annual report at the end of the programme.
We will facilitate the close-out phase, which involves:
- absorption analysis – review of absorption targets, and engagement with you and external hosts to assess Y.E.S candidate absorption opportunities;
- scorecard impact assessment – we provide you with a pre-audit enhanced recognition realization assessment;
- close-out meetings with you – review of your Y.E.S programme success, expected scorecard impact, and preliminary planning for the following year;
- close-out meetings with external hosts – review of Y.E.S programme success, and possible future participation; and
- close-out meetings with candidates – review of their learnings and experience, and discussion of next steps.
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