The eThekwini Municipality intends to collaborate with the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) to support the Youth for Energy Transition Programme (YETP).
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Transparency in the selection criteria and recruitment process is crucial for the success of energy and water sector education training.
This was the view of eThekwini DA councillor, Vincent Mkhize, and members of the Economic Development Committee during a council meeting. Councillors noted progress in establishing a collaboration agreement with the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA).
The agreement is expected to support the Youth for Energy Transition Programme (YETP), a strategic initiative aimed at advancing skills development and linking training opportunities to confirmed energy infrastructure projects within the eThekwini Municipality.
According to the municipality, the YETP is designed as a forward-looking intervention that prepares young people for participation in the evolving energy economy. It also focuses on equipping unemployed youth with relevant skills aligned to the anticipated demands of energy infrastructure projects, ensuring readiness ahead of implementation phases.
“This partnership will enhance the city’s ability to deliver targeted, sector-specific training that responds to labour market needs, while supporting the transition towards a more inclusive energy economy,” the municipality stated in its report.
One of the objectives is to ensure that the skills developed align with scarce and critical skills identified in EWSETA's Sector Skills Plan (SSP), including solar PV technicians, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) operators, gas technicians, and waste-to-energy operators.
Mkhize said the DA supports the proposed collaboration agreement because the initiative is both necessary and urgent. He said it addresses one of the most pressing challenges of youth unemployment.
Mkhize said that many young people in eThekwini remain without opportunities, skills, and hope because of political interference..
“Any programme aimed at equipping young people with meaningful, market-related skills is one we must support in principle and must go hand in hand with accountability in practice. We must guard against repeating past failures. Last year, an energy solar system initiative was presented with similar promises aimed at reducing the burden of ongoing electricity outages for our residents. To date, nothing has materialised and now it's even worse as they face the added pressure of proposed tariff increases,” he said.
Mkhize said it is essential that clear safeguards are put in place including assurance that this programme is fair, transparent, and accessible to all unemployed youth across the municipality and not just a select few.
“We must avoid any perception, or reality, that opportunities are reserved for those who are politically connected. We have already seen concerning findings from the Auditor-General regarding programmes such as the Expanded Public Works Programme,” he said.
Mkhize called for a clear and defined timeframe for the programme's implementation, measurable outcomes and targets, and a framework that ensures equitable geographic distribution across all communities within eThekwini.
Siboniso Nxumalo, ANC eThekwini councillor, said this will ensure that the youth are trained to address a scarce skills problem in South Africa.
“This collaboration advances the national priorities including the national skills development plan,” he said.
The municipality stated that there are no financial implications identified at this stage because the YETP is designed to be primarily externally funded through EWSETA and other mechanisms from government and private sector organisations.