Premier Alan Winde and MEC Mireille Wenger recently attended the Day of 1000 Opportunities recruitment drive in Athlone Stadium, Cape Town. The event aimed to provide young individuals with employment opportunities within the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector.
The Initiative
The Day of 1000 Opportunities is a collaborative effort among several organizations, including CapeBPO, the Jobs Fund, the College of Cape Town, the BPO Skills academy, Future ED, SA Youth Mobi, the [Department of Labour](https://capetown.today/department-of-employment-and-labour-takes-action-against-corruption), and the City of Cape Town. The event’s goal was to offer over 1,500 young individuals from Athlone and surrounding areas the chance to be interviewed for BPO sector training programs.
The Outcome
A thousand students were selected for training within their chosen host company and received a monthly stipend. The BPO sector significantly impacted the Western Cape’s provincial economy, creating roughly 10,000 new jobs between March 2022 and March 2023, and contributing around R20 billion in annual Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the economy.
Encouragement from the Minister and Premier
Minister Wenger acknowledged the challenges faced by the province and the country but emphasized the importance of working together to ensure a brighter future. Premier Alan Winde encouraged the young candidates to view the opportunities as a first step towards their future. He emphasized the potential for personal growth, experience, and empowerment within the rapidly expanding BPO sector in the province and the country.
Retention and Future Employment
Minister Wenger praised the public and private sector partnerships, noting their ability to drive economic growth and job creation in the Western Cape. She also highlighted that 70% to 80% of trainees are retained by the host company, creating meaningful long-term employment.
As the event concluded, Minister Wenger expressed her gratitude to the partners involved and reiterated her top priority and greatest passion: helping the participants succeed, as their success would benefit the province, the country, and its people. The Day of 1000 Opportunities exemplifies the Growth for Jobs Strategy, bringing partnership and innovation together with the private sector.
