The Department of Labour is calling on ex-employees of the Presidential Youth Employment Fund (PYEI) to submit their information by the end of the month in order to claim money from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
General Assistants (GAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs) who were employed under the PYEI in the Basic Education Sector, had monthly deductions made from their monthly stipends.
One of these deductions included the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), which ensures that workers who contribute to the fund receive short term relief in the event that they become unemployed.
Assistants employed in phases 1, 2 and 3 of the PYEI can only submit their information to the Department. Those currently employed in phase 4 of the initiative, cannot apply for benefits.
Applications to become a Teaching or General Assistant during the fourth phase of the PYEI opened on 26 September, 2022 and closed on 16 October, 2022.
The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative in the Basic Education Sector aims to provide jobs to South Africa’s young people, aged between 18 and 34 years old.
Successful applicants will undergo interviews, orientation and online training in December 2022 and during the first two weeks of January 2023.
These Teaching and General school assistants will be placed at no-fee paying schools during the period of February to April 2023, and will receive a stipend of R4081.44 each month.
The first group of Teaching and General Assistants will begin their time in the PYEI from February 2023 until September 2023. The second group will begin from May 2023 to September 2023, beginning 3 months after group one.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) introduced the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) to create jobs in the sector, while also alleviating some of the high levels of unemployment amongst the youth.
Through the programme, around 280,000 young people were employed in various schools across the country as education and general school assistants during the first three phases.
