Gauteng Tourism Monitors Programme creates jobs for unemployed youth

In an effort to attract more tourists to various destinations in the country‚ the National Department of Tourism has pumped R50-million into recruiting 200 unemployed youth for training in the tourism industry.

With the programme rolling out first in Gauteng‚ youth aged 18-35 from five provincial regions are going to start training from November to enhance their knowledge in areas ranging from the provision of information and tour-guide training‚ to customer-service and safety-awareness training.

"The intention is to provide them with sufficient skills that will be broad enough for them to be able to provide adequate assistance to tourists – especially if tourists would like to know about that particular area‚" said Department of Tourism Director General Victor Tharage. “At a later stage‚ some of them will have an opportunity to go through intense tour-guide training.”

Dubbed the Tourism Monitors Programme‚ its first phase of training will be held in Johannesburg‚ Tshwane‚ Sedibeng‚ Ekurhuleni and the West Rand. It is expected to go on for the next three years‚ with the intention of targeting other provinces in the long run.

Tharage told TimesLIVE that their budget would cover training‚ bicycles‚ uniforms and radio communications gadgets‚ among other things.

The recruitment process commenced in June this year – for youth with no criminal record who have a matric and the ability to communicate well. They must also be able to speak English and two African languages.

"We were looking for youth with clean records‚ because wouldn’t want to unleash people with criminal records on tourists‚" said Tharage. “They are the custodians of this process in terms of vetting‚ so they will guide us on that and liaise with us. The training will be provided by independent service providers – except the safety awareness‚ which will be done by the [Gauteng] Department of Community Safety‚ which is part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).”

Launched in Soweto on Tuesday‚ the National Tourism Monitors Programme seeks to provide a friendly face for tourists – and also to provide concise factual information that visitors can use without being misled.

"We are not under any illusions that these are safety monitors – these are tourism monitors‚ and they will assist us in the #WeDoTourism campaign.”

According to Minister of Tourism Thokozile Xasa‚ each participant will receive a R3‚600 per month stipend and a uniform‚ in line with the EPWP.

Xasa said the 200 safety monitors will take up their posts at Gauteng's tourist hot spots‚ including Soweto and OR Tambo International Airport. They will also form part of more than 2‚000 monitors who will be stationed around the country's tourist attractions going forward.

"Be loyal to our country‚ and be in the mandate of growing tourism in the country. We trust that you will take cognisance of the fact that we are putting trust in you – we will be linking you‚ as part of the programme and training‚ to our law enforcement agencies‚ [so] we want you to do your best‚" Xasa told trainees at the launch. Xasa further added that sustainability is important for a programme like this‚ so monitors must be proactive and deliberate in passing down the values learnt.

"We want to create a new cadre out of you‚ because coming from your households‚ you will be preaching the very same awareness we are talking about – and also sharing the skills that you will be exposed to as part of the programme‚" Xasa added.