More than 150 000 new jobs have been created in Johannesburg through government's public works programmes, the City said on Monday.

"In the first phase of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) that ended in 2009, the City created 153 835 work opportunities, exceeding the 150 000 target it had set," spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said.

He said 60 000 more job opportunities were in the pipeline for the coming year.

The City's executive director for economic development, Jason Ngobeni, said Johannesburg was making use of all the opportunities created by the EPWP to grow employment through labour intensive projects.

"Johannesburg supports President Jacob Zuma's call that job creation must top the national agenda. EPWP is a priority for the City and all departments and Municipal Owned Entities (MOEs) are required to focus on projects that can deliver more opportunities for employment."

The City adopted an EPWP policy in 2004 and started with its phased implementation the following year, Modingoane said.

The second phase was in progress and the "City is confident that it will it make a significant contribution towards the national target to create 4,5-million job opportunities by 2014".

He said Johannesburg City Parks was responsible for a range of capital and maintenance projects that formed part of the EPWP objectives.

Among the activities are the landscaping and building of parks as well as botanical gardens, storm water management, cemetery maintenance and grass cutting.

Through these projects, City Parks had created 2 966 job opportunities and provided training to participants, Modingoane said..

He said the City was focusing on creation of learnerships, skills development and programmes in recognition of prior learning in the current EPWP phase.

"All participants in EPWP programmes receive some form of skills training that they can utilise in future employment."