Basic Education and Employment and Labour implements job opportunities for youth through the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) Phase V

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) in collaboration with the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) is implementing the job opportunities for youth through the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) Phase V, targeting start date of June 2025. BEE is an integral part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus.

The Implementation of Phase V is supported by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) as the Implementing Agent to disburse stipends to beneficiaries. The BEEI programme targets youth aged 18-34 turning 35 by the end of March 2026. This follows the successful implementation of Phases I – IV, where more than 1.1 million job opportunities were created for youth. Phase V's target is more than 200 000 job opportunities for youth across the nine provinces.

PROVINCE	Allocation of job opportunies  per PED Phase V  from May 2025 UIF funds	Allocation of job opportunies  per PED Phase V  from May 2025 NT funds	TOTAL
Eastern Cape	22218	6491	28709
Free State	8829	2579	11408
Gauteng	28005	8181	36186
KwaZulu-Natal	35336	10322	45658
Limpopo	21179	6187	27366
Mpumalanga	13540	3955	17495
Northern Cape	3744	1094	4838
North West Province	10593	3094	13687
Western Cape	14959	4370	19329
TOTAL	158402	46274	204 676

Job Opportunities for youth will commence in schools from June 2025, ending on date end of November 2025. Applications may be submitted through SAYouth.mobi. NO walk-in at schools will be allowed. 

Take note of important dates below:
Advertisement and Applications: 22 April 2025 to 9 May 2025 
Interviews and contracting: 19 to 31 May 2025

The BEEI leverages on the fact that there is a public school in every community in South Africa, which is an enabler for the government to massify the provision of job opportunities to the most vulnerable youth, who, under normal circumstances, might have to leave their communities to access opportunities. Inclusiveness is thus a key pillar of the initiative. In the same vein, schools have been encouraged to provide disabled youth with opportunities as well as more girls/females. Schools have also been guided to prioritise youth living in communities where the schools are located. In this way, the youth do not have to spend money on transportation between their homes and the schools where they will be employed.

BEEI Phase V continues to aim at providing youth with soft and hard skills required in the world of work. The soft skills that the youth will gain, will be immediately from day one, where schools will explain their school ethos, request youth to sign work contract and job descriptions, to manage their time as there school operates in specific times daily, communication skills as youth need to communicate with the school staff as well as learners daily, reading and writing skills, professionalism as the education ecosystem is characterised by “Professionalism” as well as self-confidence and self-esteem. These are a few examples that can be mentioned.

The focus for BEEI Phase V is to provide support to educators to contribute towards improved learning outcomes. To support the 7th Administration Priorities, the initiative will allocate more opportunities towards Reading Champions to support the improvement of Reading and Literacy in Foundation and Intermediate Phases.

The second category that will assist teachers in classrooms is Curriculum Assistants. Curriculum Assistants are not teachers and are not required to teach, as teaching and assessment remain the responsibility of the teacher. e-Cadres will be required to assist with ICT integration in teaching and learning.

Other categories will be Care and Support Assistants, who will provide basic psychosocial support to learners; laboratory assistants to support lessons in laboratories and workshop assistants to support lessons in workshops. The sports and enrichment assistants, who will support the implementation of sports, arts and culture activities; and handymen and women, whose main responsibility will be to help with the upkeep and maintenance of school buildings. All work that will be done by the youth will be supervised by a mentor.

Assistants will be required to undergo orientation on inclusive education to understand that learners living with disabilities should be treated on an equal basis with other young people in the school and communities in which they live. The second phase of the training will focus on training youth placed in special schools across the country, and the aim is to capacitate them to be able to provide the necessary additional support to enhance learners’ participation and inclusion in school. The third phase of this training will focus on providing skills to assistants living with disabilities employed as part of the project.

The Department is continuously looking for organisations to partner with to provide training to the youth as well as exit pathways. The are funds set aside for Exit Opportunities of which that aspect will be administered and managed by the IDC. More information regarding the Exit opportunities will be communicated to the members of the public. The other training is essentially to support the Assistants in as they support teaching and learning daily. Pathways to other opportunities will also ensure that the youth remain meaningfully engaged and make a positive contribution to society.

The Departments (DBE and DEL) wish to encourage all the youth to apply for the opportunities so that they are included in these massive job opportunities, which can propel them into even greater opportunities and allow them to develop as professionals.

Media enquiries:

Elijah Mhlanga: Head of Communication 
Cell: 083 580 8275 

Terence Khala: Media Relations Officer 
Cell: 081 758 1546

#GovZAUpdates