The Bergrivier Tourism Organisation (BTO) has launched a Youth Development Program in the tourism sector to empower the youth and help revitalize the local economy.
The BTO said the program will see local youth from marginalised communities in the municipality equipped with the skills and knowledge to enhance their chances of being employed within the tourism sector.
In its first intake, the tourism skills development initiative will benefit 20 unemployed young people from the Bergrivier region, and focus on areas such as life skills and personal development, entrepreneurship training, mentorship and coaching, as well as career counselling and job placement.
Bergrivier Tourism CEO Nomonde Ndlangisa said that the Department decided to launch the project because tourism was at the forefront of the area's economic growth.
She said, however, that a significant portion of the rural population in Bergrivier grapples with poverty, limited skills and a perception that tourism benefits only the affluent.
Ndlangisa said: “This situation affects the youth in our community, placing them at a significant disadvantage as they lack the necessary skills to participate in the tourism industry. Consequently, this predicament results in alarmingly high unemployment rates amongst this age group, and regrettably, school dropout rates are also on the rise.
“Furthermore, the absence of local higher education institutions providing post-matric tourism training compounds these challenges. Notably, tourism stands as the largest employer in our region, second only to agriculture, and we are on a mission to foster the growth of the tourism sector by fostering our youth.”
“We are excited and pleased to be launching this initiative in our area; the future for tourism is bright and will be brighter still if we involve and empower our disenfranchised youth so that they too benefit from the sector,” Ndlangisa said.
The programme will officially kick off in January 2024.
nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za