Phase 2 of ‘’Getting you to work’’ job seeker travel voucher programme launched

The Western Cape's Mobility Department on Tuesday launched phase two of the ‘’Getting you to work’’ job seeker travel voucher programme in Mitchells Plain. The program was piloted in February 2024 and offers unemployed job seekers in Cape Town free travel vouchers for Golden Arrow bus services. The project aims to eliminate the barrier of transport costs that many job applicants face when they are going for interviews and looking for employment opportunities.

PHOTO - Mitchum George: Ticket bought for Job Seeker programme


The event was held at the Mitchells Plain Town Center Library. Librarian Rachel Kepke explains the significance of the program being held there.

‘’We are looking for partners to assist our members of the public, being job educating, etc. So the urban mobility department approached us to have venue and to try and work with them to have this programme today. So we said great because this is a next step if people want to get a job, look for work. We assist them with programs like the WYZ programme, whereby we help them to register online job sites and get the CV’s in order, teach them actually how to be a bit more tech savvy, as a lot of people don't have that skill.’’

One of the Western Cape's Mobility Department's directors, Malvern Arendse, explains the project background. He says this programme is needed as unemployed citizens spends a large amount of money to find jobs.

‘’We are deeply grateful to our key partner, Golden Arrow Bus Services, for believing in this vision from the beginning. Your support has been instrumental in turning this idea a reality… Today, we are proud to launch a drastically improved phase two of the job seeker travel parts and growth rate. All our lessons from the pilot, feedback from job seekers and data input from our stakeholders. Phase two is about scaling up, it is about expanding access, improving the user experience and reaching even more people who need this kind of support to move forward in their job service. As we look ahead, our hope is simple – to help as many job seekers as possible, but we cannot do this alone.’’

Golden Arrows' General Manager Derek Meyer elaborated on why it was important to partner for this programme.

‘’It is both an honor and a privilege to stand before you today as a representative of Golden Arrow bus services, an organisation that has proudly served Cape Town's communities for more than 160 years. We are deeply honored to be a strategic partner in supporting the Western Cape Government and its visionary initiative to drive economic growth and foster greater inclusion through enhanced mobility. This groundbreaking program aligns closely with our long-standing mission to provide accessible, safe, and affordable bus scheduled bus services to all across communities and all income levels. As an integral part of this public transport infrastructure in the city, our road extends far beyond the provision of bus services. Every day, across our network of key corridors, we connect thousands of individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to places of employment, education, health care, and other essential services. With more than 200,000 daily passenger trips, we understand the profound impact that dependable transport has on people's lives and livelihoods.

‘’This partnership is an important step in lowering the barriers to mobility, especially for those in historically undeserved communities. By improving access to transport, we unlock access to opportunity. To support this vision, we are deploying smart card agents and kiosks across all our service areas. These are not just distribution points. They are connection points strategically placed to ensure maximum convenience and visibility. They enable job seekers to engage with the program easily, whether by accessing information, receiving assistance, or registering for participation,’’ added Meyer.

PHOTO - Mitchum George: GABS' General Manager Derrick meyer


Delivering the keynote address, Mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku explained why this programme was created.

‘’Given our previous success in this initiative, we had to turn it up a notch. Innovation is our game. It is what we live, breathe, and eat. The most fundamental things in life, which is a job. You must find a suitable job, compete with other candidates, and most importantly, you must get yourself to that interview, and the latter requires resources.

‘’ When we began this programme in February 2024, it was an idea that mobility is not an action, it is a right. We believe that if we remove the barrier of transport costs, we can unlock the doors of opportunities and the result speaks volume.’’

Sileku highlighted some successes.

‘’In phase one, we had more than 3 700 beneficiaries with more than 150 companies on board. A significant number are also used to attend training programs, community work, and social development initiatives.

‘’In phase two - Firstly, job seekers can now register themselves online for a travel voucher, so we are removing that employer only registration. Secondly, each voucher will now carry six free rides, usable 9a.m to 3p.m weekdays and is valid until 31 March 2026,’’ added Sileku

The MEC elaborated on the Western Cape Government's ‘Growth 4 jobs’ strategy, which aims for the economy to grow in the province between 4% and 6% by 2035.

‘’Having a greater chance of attending interviews, securing work, and participating in skills development. That is a pathway from unemployment to opportunity. That is the growth for jobs, agenda, and action. I want to commend incredible teamwork across government departments, our capital partners, and especially our community networks. This program works because it is people centered and data informed.’’

PHOTO - Mitchum George: Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku


Sileku also thanked the job seekers for ‘putting trust in the programme.’

‘’Your story shapes our policies. Your struggles guide our strategy, and your success is our greatest reward. Whenever you get to that interview and you receive that call that says, ‘you have been successful’. That is our greatest success. For you to be able to get to that interview, do your utmost best, not having to worry how you're going to get there, where you're gonna get the money from, but you just have this voucher. You wait for that call.’’

Answering questions from the media after the formal programme, MEC Sileku clarified that it is only partnered employers that are and encouraged more employers to join.

‘’Some of them would be like call centers. It would vary, you know, from employer from employer. I would say I want to double. I want as many people to register so that they will be able to go to interviews.’’

Sileku hopes that the programme gets extended to other modes of transport, but reiterated that for now it is only valid on Golden Arrow buses.

Bush Radio News also spoke to job seekers at the event.

‘’I feel so good to be here to enjoy myself about the voucher. I hope I can get a job tomorrow,’’ said Zongi Twaku.

‘’I think it is a good idea because I am working in a community where people don't have access to transport money to come to access our job opportunities. I'm working for Amandla Club Development. It's a youth development that work with people who need job applications. We help with CV development. I think it's a very great thing in our community because unemployment is so rife and now youngsters are in gangsterism. So there are opportunities and we are very grateful for this initiative,’’ said Lance Minnies.

The programme runs until the 31 March 2026, and job seekers can find

 

Done By: Mitchum George.

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