Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality welcomes 30 interns for workplace experience

For Immediate Release
2 November 2020

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) recently welcomed thirty (30) interns from various sectors for an internship programme at its Head-Office in George. This, after the Department of Western Cape Department of Local Government created an opportunity for interns to be placed at various municipalities for a period of six months from 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021 in the 2020/2021 financial year.

The Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) required each municipality to do a Skills Audit of all the qualifications of their staff members. The information obtained was then collated onto the GAPSKILSS Programme which is an online national system. In order to reach the desired outcomes, the DPLG approached the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) to fund the interns, as a means to assist the Department with the entire process. DEDAT then granted municipalities the funds to appoint interns. The funds were transferred to all municipalities who participate in the programme, such as the GRDM.

All municipalities who take part in the programme have to adhere to certain requirements. Two of the requirements are that the municipality have to indicate the need or number of interns needed within the municipality and that they must fund four to five of the interns that they accommodate. The rest of the interns will be funded by the DEDAT.
With the GRDM who accommodates 30 interns, these interns will be able to require the necessary skills and gain workplace experience within their specialised fields. This will allow them to be job-ready and will enable them to start building their careers. Also, the initiative further aims to assist households within rural areas financially.

Interns from various sectors welcomed to the Garden Route District Municipality on the 1st of October 2020.

Strict measures are in place and proper monitoring are done to ensure that the desired outcomes are reached. Currently the interns are tasked with meaningful work activities and proof thereof must be provided together with an attendance register that have to be signed by each participant on a daily basis.

ENDS