Discovery data shows that Covid-19 vaccines work.
The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI)’s National Pathway Management Network Innovation Fund calls for proposals from all sectors, while the SA Council for Graduates calls for more internship funding. Then, in a first of its kind for South Africa, a Discovery study confirms that Covid-19 vaccines work and are incredibly safe.
Call for more internship funding
The South African Council for Graduates Cooperative (Sacgra) is calling for increased funding to expand its internship programmes.
Sacgra executive chairperson Thamsanqa Maqubela says internships are for 12 months, work-integrated learning programmes run for 18 months to 24 months and candidacy programmes last 36 months.
Through the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) and the Food and Beverage Seta, Sacgra has helped 610 beneficiaries.
Sixty new computer graduates
A group of 60 job-seeking South Durban residents have completed free computer skills training from the Engen Computer School.
The school offers introductory-level computer skills training, covering eight-unit standards of the National Certificate: Information Technology, End User Computing qualification.
Over the past decade, 2,260 people have graduated from the school and improved their prospects of finding employment.
PYEI opens for funding proposals
The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI)’s National Pathway Management Network Innovation Fund funding round is now open.
The PYEI has identified several priority interventions to accelerate youth pathways into the economy over the next five years, including the:
- Establishment of a National Pathway Management Network (NPMN)
- Delivery of agile workforce development (including skills development interventions and the strengthening of workplace experience)
- Support for youth self-employment and enterprise in the township and rural economy
- The Presidential Youth Service programme.
More information is available at www.jobsfund.org.za.
Vaccines work, says Discovery
Discovery has released what is the largest scientific study of its kind in South Africa on vaccine effectiveness and safety, leveraging the company’s extensive clinical, wellness and vaccination data.
CEO Adrian Gore says, in an email to members, that the evidence “is unequivocal: vaccines work; are incredibly safe and reduce individual risk; and represent the most reliable route to fast-tracking our return to normality”.
The analysis included 1,207,760 members of schemes administered by Discovery Health, who received vaccinations.
Members who received the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were compared to an equally-matched and risk-adjusted “clinical twin” from the unvaccinated member population – after dose one and then extending for a period of 100 days following the second dose.
Relative to members fully vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech, the unvaccinated member population has a five times higher risk of Covid-19 infection; and 20 times the risk of dying from the complications of a Covid-19 infection. There have been zero vaccine-related deaths recorded among Discovery scheme members or clients.
