The Municipality through its Economic Development Unit’s (EDU) Sector Support Programmes Department is funding the rollout of the SMART.BIO project, a new online system that connects jobseekers with employers.
The project is part of the department’s mandate to provide strategic interventions and facilitate partnerships with stakeholders to address economic development challenges such as high unemployment and skills mismatch. The system will enable individuals to create profiles and provide personal learning advice.
The rollout is set to begin in May, targeting the outer west areas of Hammersdale and Cato Ridge. The wards surrounding these commercial nodes have particularly high unemployment statistics but also show good growth potential due to investments by SANRAL in the N3 upgrade, the private sector such as Keystone Park, and proposed public private sector investments into the Cato Ridge dry port/back of port operations.
Through this project, the City will be able to contribute to the priorities related to Radical Economic Transformation, youth development, enterprise and township development and innovation.
The SMART.BIO rollout will create a support desk, community-based entrepreneurship and innovation programme as well as training and coaching of a large number of people to find work.
Deputy Head of EDU, Sector Support Programmes Takalani Rathiyaya explained: “It is expensive for job-seekers to write up their CVs, find somewhere to print them, and then deliver them to the company. When they get there, they can find that there are hundreds of CVs being put forward for the same job. SMART.BIO takes away that cost and time and is simple to use.”
“Anyone can be assisted to create their CVs on the www.smrt.bio/durban platform. At the same time, companies are being encouraged to use it to recruit the right person for the vacancy,” he added.
Upon implementation, five SMRT.BIO representatives will be working in the outer west to assist with registrations on the SMRT.BIO system. These five positions are available and to apply for visit www.smrt.bio www.smrt.bio/durban.
Rathiyaya concluded: “We encourage all unemployed people to create their CV for free on www.smrt.bio/durban now. This information will also help us to better respond to resident’s needs”.
For more information email Takalani.rathiyaya@durban.gov.za or info@hcrda.org