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| Ms Hellen Manakedi Ntlatleng |
Artisans Development Launch
04 February 2013
Programme Director; Honourable Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande; Honourable
Deputy Minister, Mr Mduduzi Manana; the DG of Higher Education and Training,
Mr Gwebs Qonde; officials of the Department of Higher Education and
Training; Members of the EWC Council; Principals and management of other FET
Colleges present here today; CEOs of SETAs present; the leadership team of
the Ekurhuleni West College; staff and students of Ekurhuleni West College;
Distinguished guests; members of the media; ladies and gentlemen - a very
good morning.
It is a great honour for me to welcome you to our institution. We are
enthused by your presence here today, and indeed hope that Ekurhuleni West
College will give you all a reason to return, on another occasion, to this
beautiful Tembisa campus. Please do feel welcome and thank you for choosing
this campus in partiular to launch "The Year of the Artisan" for
many reasons, and among others - Tembisa as a township has grown so fast
that this campus can't deal with the numbers that enter their gates during
enrollment time. Tembisa campus has been producing the best results at EWC
for three consecutive years, especially their Engineering Department - Civil
and Construction. We have here among our midst the best Level 4 student at
EWC who is a Civil student.
Minister, whilst significant progress has been made towards making South
Africa a more just, inclusive and developmental society, deep inequalities
associated with extraordinarily high levels of poverty and joblessness still
persist - as you get into Tembisa that is very evident. True, we have
achieved moderate growth in the formal economy and attracted some foreign
investment; we have, however, failed to skill the nation for these new
challenges to the structure of our economy. This situation is worsened by
the global economic downturn which has seen many people losing their jobs
and therefore unable to provide for the basic needs of their families. This
has not left South Africa unscathed, evident in our frenzied efforts to
combat unemployment and indeed poverty. The potential of the South African
economy is evident in its diversity of sectors and industries; and the cost
of doing business in South Africa compares favourably to other emerging
world markets. This leaves us with the distinct challenge to develop
rapidly, ensuring that South Africa's people benefit from this development
and the standard of living in SA improves.
Cognisant of the challenges inherent in the National Skills Development
Strategy III (NSDSiii), the campaign DHET seeks to launch today represents a
firm commitment to put into "sharp focus" the need for the
production of artisans as part of the national strategy to deal with the
shortage of critical skills in South Africa. These critical skills are
earmarked by a government hard at work creating opportunities for employment
whilst rolling out massive infrastructural projects for economic growth and
development for a developmental economy. In the interest of supporting the
NSDS3 goal of "promoting the growth of a public FET college system that
is responsive to sector, local, regional and national skills needs and
priorities," EWC is proud to host an event that seeks to not only make
this a reality but whose huge impact on the lives of many South Africans is
guaranteed; many South Africans trapped in poverty, desperate in
hopelessness and desolate in poverty.
Minister, this effort demands that all our efforts are responsive to
sector, local, regional and national skills needs and priorities; ensuring
that the production of artisans and other mid-level skills is a priority,
focused on the target that 50 000 additional artisans be trained by 2015;
improve skills in all industries and target 1,2 million workers for
certified on-the-job skills improvement programmes annually from 2013. We
are cognisant of the demand for skills in the various industries of our
economy on the one hand, and the supply of people from our education and
training programmes on the other. We are hard at work ensuring the two talk
to each and that is why we are excited at this campaign by DHET; because we
want to ensure that we do not have to import skills from other countries and
that FET Colleges begin to become responsive institutions of choice in
assistance to our government.
Programme Director, the National Skills Development Strategy III promotes
partnerships between employers, public education institutions (FET colleges,
universities of technologies and universities), private providers and SETAs,
to ensure that cross-sectoral needs are addressed; and so we find ourselves
at the cusp of this reality, poised in support of the government's
priorities and targets to: "… encourage the linking of skills
development to career paths, career development and promoting sustainable
employment and in-work progression."
We are enthused by DHET's commitment to skills development and find
resonance in their expectation of us. We are excited at the fact that we
share a commitment to youth, gender, disability issues - Deputy Minister -
and therefore hope that this launch will signify a marked increase in the
number of artisans trained within these special groups; that this
intervention will not only increase access to occupational specific
programmes, but will further increase enrolments in FET Colleges and
facilitate the up-skilling of lecturers in FET Colleges; for lecturing staff
to gain access to workplaces for access to new technologies and new
pedagogies.
We hope this effort will create career pathing opportunities for a cohort
of artisans and thus increasing opportunities for job progression for them
across the sectors and indeed transforming economic sectors while
facilitating personal career growth. Above all, we seek to stimulate
economic growth and development within municipalities, provinces and the
country.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have predicated the success of this intervention
on collaborations and partnerships with key players in the broad skills
development sector. For, our preoccupation here today is not just about
skills production and effecting a skills revolution - it is about that and
much more besides. We seek to locate this intervention at the very heart,
the epicentre of our interventions as a sector and a College. We have
absolutely no illusion regarding the significance of the DHET's strategic
leadership in the success of this intervention. For that we thank you.
Today, we confirm that skills development is critical to the development
of our economy as a country. We applaud the wisdom inherent in placing
skills development at the very heart of development, job creation and labour
market transformation in our country; and indeed the role FET Colleges can
and should play in it.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I must confirm to the minister that the clarion
call has been heard and understood and that we have as a College resolved to
respond to it. Chief amongst what we've heard and seen is that there are
numerous skills gaps and needs within the economy. Today we confirm our
commitment to this call and echo the Minister's sentiments to deliver a
cadre of trained professionals and to lead the revolution to deliver the
skills development mandate to counter the effects of the marginalisation of
the rural poor..... and to "absolutely end poverty in our
lifetime."
Once again, you are heartily welcomed at the Ekurhuleni West College -
rephang bagaetsho - dimpsa di tlenngwe...
Hellen Manakedi Ntlatleng - Principal
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