Men on the Side of the Road (M.S.R.): Employing the Masses

Every day, thousands of men across South Africa stand on the side of the road looking for work. To address this issue and combat rising unemployment, Men on the Side of the Road (M.S.R.) serves as an employment intermediation organization that connects unskilled and semi-skilled men to employers seeking temporary labour. M.S.R. has created seven city-based regional offices, which support 15 "worker collection points" (gazebos in a city center or high-traffic area) where men looking for work can register their names and work history with M.S.R's field workers. The information becomes part of a larger database consisting of vetted workers based on their past experiences and recommendations from former employers, as well a database of employers who register for the platform. Registered employers have the ability to look through CVs and profiles of M.S.R. members and hire them on a short-term or long-term basis. The worker collection site is also used as an orderly place for employers who have hired a worker to pick him up. M.S.R. collects a facilitation fee from employers that hire a worker and also guarantees that the worker gets paid an appropriate amount and on a timely basis. In coordination with various training partners, M.S.R. also provides workers with skills development and career development training. In 2008, M.S.R. placed 6,500 men in jobs across South Africa. M.S.R. is currently in a highly transitional phase. It has recently started encouraging women who are looking for work to join the platform and has plans to create a network of 200 worker collection points in the next three to five years. To date, the organization has operated with the support of donor, public, and corporate funding, but seeks to reduce its reliance on grant funding to 25% over the next five years. By expanding its footprint, M.S.R. hopes to eventually leverage its worker collection points to distribute additional services such as bank accounts, funeral policies, electricity, and savings accounts. Contact Info: Cape Town Office: Woodstock Industrial Centre, 66 Albert Road, Woodstock; Tel: 021-448-9000/1/2; Fax: 021-448-4833; Email: peterk@employMen.co.za; Website: http://www.employmen.co.za/

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