FOSTERING a culture of entrepreneurship is one of the key means at our disposal to create employment, especially for young people. This is according to Yershen Pillay, CEO of the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA).
“Empowering youth to become successful entrepreneurs delivers a multiplier effect, with sustainable SMMEs creating jobs for other unemployed youth. This in turn contributes levies to SETAs, enabling further support for small businesses,” says Pillay.
Citing a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which represents 38 countries, including South Africa, Pillay says that although young people show a high level of interest in entrepreneurship, few are actively working on start-ups or managing businesses.
This is the scenario that is driving CHIETA’s Vision 2025, which aims to support 2 000 SMMEs and 200 start-ups with wide-ranging skills development and financial investment.
By the end of this year, CHIETA will be almost a third of the way to achieving its goal. In 2021 the SETA supported 125 entrepreneurs and by the end of this year it will have equipped 500 businesses for successful small business growth.
CHIETA allocated R20-million this year for training that covers entrepreneurial skills, incubation programmes, learnerships, bursaries, adult education and training, and other initiatives that assist with small business growth.
“Our multipronged approach is producing job creators rather than job seekers. We work with higher education institutions and other partners to ensure that entrepreneurs-in-the-making are enabled through wide-ranging skills development, financial support, and access to market linkages.
“The training is going some way towards instilling an entrepreneurial mindset among young people and, working with large-scale enterprises, throughout the supply chain,” says Pillay.
For more information about CHIETA visit: www.chieta.org.za
