Media Statement NSA NW PSDF Date of Issue: 4 September 2013 North West Premier up-scales skills development efforts in the province “Education and skills development are the most powerful tools we can use to tackle the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality”, North West Premier Thandi Modise told delegates attending the National Skills Authority (NSA) Provincial Consultative Workshop in Cookes Lake, Mahikeng last Friday. Addressing representatives of the National Department of Higher Education and Training, the National Skills Authority, Provincial and local government, the private sector and organised labour, the Premier announced that the North West provincial government was in the process of establishing the Provincial Skills Development Forum and the Provincial Human Resource Development Council, which she will personally spearhead. She also declared that her administration would establish the Provincial Public Service Academy before the end of the year to ensure that there is integration in implementing skills development in all sectors within the Province. Outlining the purpose of the consultative workshop, the Acting Chairperson of the National Skills Authority (NSA), Mr Manene Samela said, “The consultative workshop provides a good opportunity for stakeholders to deliberate on the national skills development strategy and examine prospects and challenges facing the province with regard to post school education and training. We have already completed the second year of implementation since the launch of the NSDS III and it is important to evaluate progress thus far. It is against this background that you are engaged as the province to share your achievements and challenges in the implementation of this revolutionary strategy and to work with us in ensuring that skills development programmes benefit the unemployed, underemployed and vulnerable groups.” Speaking on behalf of the North West Business Forum, Kelebogile McHarvey Seboka said the country’s high rate of unemployment was worrying, especially when compared to other BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. He attributed this problem to South Africa’s tendency to focus on employment in the formal sector, while the growing trend in other developing countries was to look at diverse employment opportunities. He decried the inability of South Africa’s Institutions of Higher Learning to produce graduates who are readily employable and ready to participate productively in the country’s economy. “Business would like to see Institutions of higher learning beginning to observe industry requirements and providing the caliber of graduates that will match the needs of business. Where possible, business will want to have a database of those skills that our members can help develop and students who need experiential learning so that we can mobilize our members to grant them space to learn,” said Seboka. Speaking on behalf of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Kopano Konopi cautioned that South Africa was one of the most unequal societies in the world, especially in terms of wage disparities. He said skills development programmes should endeavour to close that gap. In their recommendations, delegates highlighted, among other things, the need for more SMME-oriented systems of skills development that would encourage job creation instead of producing a cohort of job seekers. It was further recommended that Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing sectors be prioritised in the Province. In addition, delegates called for a comprehensive strategy on beneficiation of minerals and agricultural products to boost the regional and local economy. In his concluding remarks, NSA Board Member, Mr. Percy Mongalo advised the province to convene a follow up workshop that will delve deeper into some of the challenges and map out a strategy to address them. ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL SKILLS AUTHORITY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2013 Inquiries: Mr. Thabo Mashongoane: Executive Manager at NSA Secretariat – 012 312 5420 / 083 775 5748 / [email protected] OR Ms. Busiswa Nongogo: Deputy Director – Marketing, Events, Investigations and Capacity Building at NSA Secretariat – 012 312 6352 / 076 134 4875 / [email protected]
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 10:01:28 +0000
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