The City of Cape Town’s Facilities Management Department has partnered with the National Business Initiative (NBI) on an artisan development programme, with the first cohort of 31 learners having started work with the city.

The city’s Facilities Management Department has taken the 31 learners on board from the NBI and has entered into a memorandum of agreement with the NBI to fund this project.

The learners, who have theoretical knowledge in installations, repairs and maintenance and welding, have been placed within the Facilities Management Department with effect from February 1. Their contracts will conclude on June 30, 2026.

The NBI will pay the learners a stipend during the initial phase of the programme – until August 31. Thereafter, the city will pay the learners until their contracts come to an end.

The learners have been placed at the facilities management depots in Milnerton, Philippi, Bellville, Somerset West and at the Cape Town Civic Centre.

“I would like to welcome the 31 new City of Cape Town employees to our team with a common purpose and vision of what we believe our city facilities should look like and how we are to maintain these.

“This partnership will definitely assist in addressing the high youth unemployment rate in our country and it delivers on the vision of all of the partners involved, which is to ensure sustainable growth for these learners.

“With programmes such as these, we aim to break down barriers to economic inclusion in our city. Our hope is that these learners will grow and develop their skills as artisans in order to secure future employment in this field, and possibly at the city one day,” MMC Alderman Theresa Uys comments.

“Partnerships such as this one with NBI work perfectly as they are able to provide the city with the most suitable leaners who have the theoretical foundation required and then the city is able to, in turn, provide them with an opportunity to complete the practical element of their learning with our experienced Facilities Management team, which is the most ideal department to facilitate a maintenance skills programme such as this,” Uys adds.