The government's multi-billion Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) received a boost from one of the country's major banks, which offered to provide financial assistance to contractors taking part in the programme.

The Department of Public Works and ABSA signed an agreement yesterday to that effect.

The agreement will see emerging contractors carrying out projects under EPWP receiving training and also securing loans from ABSA.

Signing the agreement in Johannesburg, Public Works Minister Stella Sigcau called on other private companies to join forces with government in job creation.

"Government alone would not have achieved what it has if we did not collectively be it with labour, business and civil society to push back the frontiers of poverty and create a better life for all," she said.

"Government's job-creation programme was on track to deliver skills to the jobless as promised," said Sigcau.

"The EPWP is on course to act as a vital intervention in the second economy to deliver public services, create job opportunities and improve the employability chances of large numbers of unskilled and marginalised people through systematic skills development programmes," she said.

Prior to securing loans, contractors will undergo training to ensure good service delivery.

The minister added that her department, which is responsible for overall coordination and success of the EPWP, would administer mentorship to learners and ensure that they receive accredited training.

Unemployed people entering into learnerships under the EPWP will be employed under the Learnership Determination for unemployed learners.

Employment conditions in EPWP are governed by the code of Good Practice for Special Public Works Programmes, gazetted in 2002.

President Thabo Mbeki officially launched the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) at Sikhunyani Village outside Giyani, in Limpopo Province in May this year marking the start of this large-scale programme to deliver essential social infrastructural facilities such roads and pipelines for water and sewerage.

EPWP is the government's comprehensive developmental and job creation programme that ensures communities benefit from labour intensive government programmes that use less high tech machinery and more manual labourers.

Workers involved in the programme would also be trained on specific skills to pursue at the end of EPWP related projects. –BuaNews.