x50 Eskom Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme for the Unemployed

x50 Eskom Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme for the Unemployed

Eskom, the country’s national electricity utility, has opened 50 positions under its Youth Employment Service (YES) programme, and for matriculants wanting genuine, paid workplace exposure to launch their careers, this is one of the more substantial national intakes available right now.

• Closing Date: 22 September 2026
• Location: Sunninghill
• Salary/Stipend: Market Related remuneration under a fixed 12-month contract (specific stipend figure not disclosed on this listing)

Programme Overview

This YES intake offers 50 positions, making it a genuinely large-scale opportunity compared to many smaller, single-digit YES postings that come up throughout the year. The Youth Employment Service is a public-private initiative led by the Presidency, aimed squarely at tackling South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis by giving young people a real, structured first step into the working world, rather than leaving them stuck in the frustrating cycle of “no experience, no job.”

Eskom’s participation in the YES initiative means successful candidates are placed directly within real Eskom operations across the country’s provinces, gaining genuine exposure to how one of Africa’s largest electricity utilities actually runs day to day.

Job Description

Successful YES candidates are placed on a 12-month fixed-term contract within one of Eskom’s operational divisions, most commonly within Human Resources or general administrative functions at a specific Eskom site. Rather than being a token placement, the programme is built to expose young people to real workplace procedures, structured administration, and professional conduct, giving them a genuine foundation to build on once the contract ends.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide general administrative support within the assigned Eskom department or business unit
• Gain exposure to day-to-day workplace procedures and professional office conduct
• Support document handling, filing, and basic record-keeping tasks
• Assist with correspondence and communication tasks as required by the placement team
• Participate in structured workplace learning and mentorship throughout the 12-month contract
• Build practical teamwork and collaboration skills within a real operational environment
• Complete assigned tasks in line with Eskom’s internal standards and procedures

Requirements and Qualifications

To be eligible for this YES intake, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• South African citizenship
• Between 18 and 34 years of age
• A Grade 12 (Matric) certificate or equivalent, and/or a post-matric certificate or programme
• Must not have been permanently employed by a single employer continuously for more than one year
• Must not be studying full-time during the year of employment
• Must not have previously participated in the YES initiative
• Willingness to undergo Eskom’s standard recruitment and screening process

Since this programme exists specifically to give young people their first real workplace exposure, no prior work experience is required to apply.

Skills and Competencies

While the formal entry requirements are fairly accessible, candidates who tend to stand out in Eskom’s YES selection process generally show:

• A genuine hunger and enthusiasm to enter the job market
• Reliability and punctuality, both essential in any structured workplace setting
• Good basic communication skills, both written and verbal
• A willingness to learn and take direction from experienced colleagues
• Basic computer literacy and comfort with everyday office tasks
• Professionalism and a positive attitude, even without prior formal work experience
• Adaptability, given that placements span different Eskom operations and provinces

Why This Programme Is Worth Considering

For young South Africans who’ve completed Matric but haven’t yet found a way into formal employment, the YES programme solves a genuinely common and frustrating problem. A 12-month, paid contract with a company of Eskom’s scale gives participants real, verifiable work experience to put on a CV, along with exposure to structured, professional environments that many young jobseekers simply haven’t had access to before. With 50 posts available in this specific intake, spread across multiple provinces, this round offers meaningfully more opportunity than many smaller YES postings, giving applicants from different parts of the country a genuine shot at selection.

Beyond the immediate work experience, exposure to a large, technically diverse organisation like Eskom also helps young people start building a clearer sense of direction, whether that eventually leads toward careers in Human Resources, Administration, Engineering, or other fields within the energy sector.

About Eskom

Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, commonly known as Eskom, is South Africa’s state-owned electricity public utility, established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission (ESCOM). Headquartered in Sunninghill, Sandton, Eskom generates, transmits, and distributes approximately 95% of South Africa’s electricity, and around 60% of the total electricity consumed across the African continent, making it the world’s eleventh-largest power utility by generating capacity.

With more than 42,000 employees and total assets exceeding R1 trillion, Eskom remains one of South Africa’s most significant employers and infrastructure operators, playing a critical role in the country’s broader economic stability. Beyond its core generation, transmission, and distribution business, Eskom has built a long-standing commitment to youth development through structured graduate, learnership, apprenticeship, and Youth Employment Service programmes across its various power stations and business units, aimed at addressing both youth unemployment and future skills shortages within the utility.

Eskom is committed to equality, employment equity, and diversity, with preference given, though not limited, to candidates from under-represented designated groups, and candidates with disabilities are actively encouraged to apply. For young South Africans looking for a genuine, structured first step into the working world, backed by one of the country’s most essential state institutions, Eskom’s Youth Employment Service programme offers a credible and accessible route in.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online through Eskom’s official careers portal before the 22 September 2026 closing date. When applying, make sure to quote listing reference eskom_007018 exactly, and double-check that your contact details, including your cellphone number and email address, are accurate and up to date on your application profile. If you haven’t been contacted within 28 days of the closing date, you should accept that your application was unsuccessful, as is standard practice across Eskom’s recruitment advertisements. Eskom is committed to employment equity and diversity, and disabled candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

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