DURBAN - The community of Wentworth was given a major boost after the launch of a multimillion-rand Youth Development centre by the Department of Social Development last week.
The centre was launched by the KZN MEC for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Khoza, on Tuesday, October 6, after pleas from the community of Wentworth and bluff for youth skills to fight the high rate of unemployment.
“The construction of the centre was the government’s response to the request by the community of Wentworth and Bluff who pleaded for the youth skills centre to save the lives of young people, who are facing a number of social ills, such as crime and abuse of drugs and other substances,” said the department.
Youth who are able to study at the Youth Development centre will be introduced to the working environment and will be provided with an opportunity to be trained in a variety of work skills, it said.
According to the department, the centre is adjacent to industries and will help to respond to the high rate of unemployment. The department has invested multi-millions of rands in this state-of-the-art building. Youth enrolled in the centre will be skilled in electrical engineering, business management, plumbing and catering, to mention a few.
“The Department of Social Development said it has a responsibility to help those in need,“ it added.
The construction of the youth development centre in Wentworth is one of the many issues that the department deals with.
It said among other issues it is tasked with fighting are drugs and substance abuse, child care, elderly care, care for people with disabilities, care for orphans whose parents died of HIV and Aids, disbursement of social grants, which is done through Sassa, and the training of communities, which is done through the National Development Agency.
THE MERCURY