Pretoria - Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana has finished his two-day interaction with employers and high school learners from Bojanala District Municipality in the North West.
This was part of promoting the Decade of the Artisan campaign, which aims to motivate learners to consider artisanship as a career of choice in the 21st century, as well as share information on critical scarce skills that will advance the economy of the country.
“Out of the 100 careers in high demand released by the Minister in 2014, 47 careers are artisanal related. Therefore, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and employers become central in the development of artisans,” said Deputy Minister Manana.
On the first day of the interaction, the Deputy Minister met with employers in the mining, hospitality and automotive sectors to initiate a meaningful partnership discussion to advance the Decade of the Artisan agenda.
“The private sector is the biggest employer of artisans in the country... There is a continuous need for suitably qualified artisans to sustain industries and support the economic growth of the country.
“In a range of national strategies, the need for artisans has been elevated and identified as a priority area for skills development,” the Deputy Minister said.
While the National Development Plan indicates that by 2030 the country should be producing 30 000 qualified artisans per year, Deputy Minister Manana said this target has been brought forward by the 2014 – 2020 Medium Term Strategic Framework to 31 March 2026.
At present, the country is producing on average 15 000 qualified artisans per year and the number has to more than double in the next 11 years leading up to 2026, and reach 30 000 by 2030.
The Decade of the Artisan (2014 – 2024) is an advocacy campaign and a flagship project of Deputy Minister Manana. He travels quarterly to provinces to advocate for artisanship to employers, youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) and high school learners.
Government expects that TVET colleges will become the cornerstone in the solution to the country’s acute skills shortage. – SAnews.gov.za
