DHET: National skills conference

The National Skills Authority together with the Department of Higher Education and Training held the National Skills Development conference at the Birchwood hotel in Boksburg.

Prominent public figures and contributors of youth skills,professional and educational development- skills development stakeholders from Quality Councils, SETAs, Government, Business, Labour, Education and Training Providers, Community Constituencies, Provincial Skills Development Forums (PSDFs), Research Institutions, Professional Bodies and the general public were attended.

Taking that a large population of the youth remains unemployed, even with a large number of qualified students still seeking employment, the skills development stakeholders took time time to further discuss the underlying issues of South Africa’s youth.

The plan is to ensure that these key role players within the industry stand by the National Development programme so to ensure that by 2030 the youth South Africa experience a South Africa where amongst other things:

• skills development system enhance productive and decent work for current and future socio-economic growth and development
• Deepening the understanding of opportunities so that post school education and training institutions and skills development bodies co-exist and collaborate
• Creating a platform for a strengthened social partnership model for planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of skills development
• Positioning skills development to address rising youth unemployment

The aim of the NDP is to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. According to the plan, “South Africa can realise these goals by drawing on the energies of its people, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and promoting leadership and partnerships throughout society”.