STAFF REPORTER
MINISTER of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, says skills development and training remains crucial in redressing the skewed trajectory of the past characterised through racist policies.
Addressing delegates during a breakfasting hosting the National Skills Fund (NSF) bursary beneficiaries during breakfast in Cape Town, the Minister said education and skills development is important because it promotes economic growth and social inclusion by creating a more skilled and diverse workforce.
“In our South African context, by providing training and education opportunities to Black South Africans, these skills development initiatives will help to level the playing field and reduce inequality in the economy. As President Nelson Mandela said: “The power of education extends beyond the development of skills we need for economic success. It can contribute to nation-building and reconciliation.”
Nzimande pledged to intensify efforts towards addressing the imbalances of skills supply and demand in South Africa through the process of developing a country wide Master Skills Plan under the theme ‘One Country One Skills Development Plan’.
This ground-breaking initiative will provide strategic direction to the country’s skills system, bring about coherence in skills provisioning and clarify institutional arrangements and ensure that skills development in South Africa is relevant and responsive to the needs of the economy and society.
He said the Department of Higher Education and Training, together with the 21 sector education and training authorities (SETAs) and entities under the department, has been mandated a leadership role in the skills development of the country, in rebuilding the economy and in leading the reconstruction efforts of the government post-Covid-19.
Half a billion rand will also be allocated to the SETAs for scarce skills development in the current financial year.
The Minister said that the NSF is in the process of finalising the issuing of skills development funding Request for Proposals (RFPs) which include:
a) Postgraduate studies in natural sciences at Masters, Medical Doctors, PHD and Post PHD
level;
b) Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL); Studies in Wellness and Sports, Rural Development; Information and Communication Technology (Skills in 4IR); TVET College Placement programmes; and
c) Expansion of Centres of Specialisation
He urged South Africans to look for these opportunities, while urging greater collaboration of all PSET institutions with industry, mostly importantly, TVET and Community Colleges.
“This will ensure that we create more job and training opportunities for our students in these sectors. I have said it several times to our colleges principals, that our TVET college will not be called colleges if they do not have well established relations with industry and workplaces within their areas,” he said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
