The Eastern Cape has the third highest number of social work studies graduates sitting idle at home despite promises by the department of social development to absorb them.
This information is contained in written parliamentary replies by Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini to Democratic Alliance MP Karen de Kock.
Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal have more unemployed graduates than the Eastern Cape.
Late last year the Daily Dispatch reported on how thousands of newly qualified social workers who thought they were walking into state jobs have been left high and dry across the country.
In her reply Dlamini said of the 9266 students who had graduated from the social work scholarship programme since its inception, 6762 have been appointed into full time positions.
So far 2504 have not managed to get full time jobs. From 2011 to 2014 the Eastern Cape had 587 unemployed social work graduates, Limpopo 635 and KZN 716.
The Dispatch recently reported that not a single social work graduate was employed by the Eastern Cape government this financial year.
This year another 5000 state-funded social work students are poised to enter university on the same basis – that they will work for the state when they graduate.
In December hundreds of graduates in the province protested at the department’s headquarters in King William’s Town.
They claimed that the provincial department won’t release them from their contracts so that they can then look for work with non-governmental organisations.
This was, however, denied by government.
“The department has undertaken a process of re-costing the scholarship programme. This is to determine how many social work graduates can be employed from the savings from scholarship funding,” said social development spokeswoman Lumka Oliphant last month.
“The other option is to look at reducing the intake numbers and utilising the savings to appoint the social work graduates.
“This is being communicated with National Treasury.”
DA social development shadow minister Bridget Masango earlier this week delivered a memorandum to Dlamini’s office asking her to speed-up the process of absorbing unemployed graduates.
“The DSD promised jobs to students who successfully completed their degrees through government bursaries for social work-related studies. The students have upheld their end of the deal,” said Masango.
“This falls far short of the commitment that the DSD made and shows extremely poor planning by Minister Dlamini. In shutting these 2504 students out of employment, the department will deprive South African communities of their desperately needed services.”
In the memorandum seen by the Dispatch the DA demands that the minister take action to ensure that social workers are urgently employed.
“The DA believes every South African who is in a vulnerable situation should have access to social workers to assist with interventions.
“The levels of vulnerability in SA are dangerously high due to a range of factors, including the economy, the cost of living and the drought,” she said.
Social work graduates battle to find work
This information is contained in written parliamentary replies by Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini to Democratic Alliance MP Karen de Kock.
Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal have more unemployed graduates than the Eastern Cape.
Late last year the Daily Dispatch reported on how thousands of newly qualified social workers who thought they were walking into state jobs have been left high and dry across the country.
In her reply Dlamini said of the 9266 students who had graduated from the social work scholarship programme since its inception, 6762 have been appointed into full time positions.
So far 2504 have not managed to get full time jobs. From 2011 to 2014 the Eastern Cape had 587 unemployed social work graduates, Limpopo 635 and KZN 716.
The Dispatch recently reported that not a single social work graduate was employed by the Eastern Cape government this financial year.
This year another 5000 state-funded social work students are poised to enter university on the same basis – that they will work for the state when they graduate.
In December hundreds of graduates in the province protested at the department’s headquarters in King William’s Town.
They claimed that the provincial department won’t release them from their contracts so that they can then look for work with non-governmental organisations.
This was, however, denied by government.
“The department has undertaken a process of re-costing the scholarship programme. This is to determine how many social work graduates can be employed from the savings from scholarship funding,” said social development spokeswoman Lumka Oliphant last month.
“The other option is to look at reducing the intake numbers and utilising the savings to appoint the social work graduates.
“This is being communicated with National Treasury.”
DA social development shadow minister Bridget Masango earlier this week delivered a memorandum to Dlamini’s office asking her to speed-up the process of absorbing unemployed graduates.
“The DSD promised jobs to students who successfully completed their degrees through government bursaries for social work-related studies. The students have upheld their end of the deal,” said Masango.
“This falls far short of the commitment that the DSD made and shows extremely poor planning by Minister Dlamini. In shutting these 2504 students out of employment, the department will deprive South African communities of their desperately needed services.”
In the memorandum seen by the Dispatch the DA demands that the minister take action to ensure that social workers are urgently employed.
“The DA believes every South African who is in a vulnerable situation should have access to social workers to assist with interventions.
“The levels of vulnerability in SA are dangerously high due to a range of factors, including the economy, the cost of living and the drought,” she said.
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