Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, says Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates represent the bridge South Africa needs to connect skills development with economic opportunity.
Addressing young built-environment professionals at the Institute of Building Inspectors Youth Sector Business Breakfast on Thursday, Letsike said TVET graduates are critical to addressing skills shortages, youth unemployment and transformation within the construction and infrastructure sectors.
"They represent the bridge that South Africa desperately needs – the bridge between artisan knowledge and professional recognition, between technical skill and regulatory authority, between township and college pathways and formal professional status," the Deputy Minister said.
Letsike's remarks come against the backdrop of persistently high youth unemployment, with many graduates struggling to secure workplace experience and professional registration, despite completing their studies.
She argued that South Africa must stop treating TVET education as a secondary option and instead position it as a credible pathway into professional careers and leadership positions.
"If we are serious about youth development, we must stop treating TVET education as a second-class pathway."
The Deputy Minister highlighted the success of the Gauteng-funded Youth Building Inspector Programme, which has provided workplace learning opportunities for unemployed graduates through partnerships involving municipalities, higher education institutions, and industry stakeholders.
The programme has placed 248 unemployed built-environment graduates in workplace learning opportunities, while supporting 51 young women on their journey towards professional registration.
According to Letsike, the programme demonstrates that South Africa does not lack talent but often falls short in providing the support systems needed to help young people transition from education into employment.
"Transformation fails when support systems are absent," she said.
She noted that many of the programme participants possess TVET and technical qualifications in fields such as electrical engineering, plumbing, civil construction, building, and construction management.
Letsike said young people will only embrace TVET pathways if they can clearly see opportunities for career progression and professional advancement.
"A young woman who studies electrical engineering at a TVET college must be able to imagine herself not only as an assistant on site, but as a registered inspector, a compliance professional, an entrepreneur, a municipal official, a project manager and a leader in the built environment.”
The Deputy Minister also called on government departments, municipalities, professional councils, the private sector, and educational institutions to work together to create seamless pathways from training to employment.
She said young professionals should be able to move from recruitment and training to workplace learning, mentorship, professional registration, employment, and entrepreneurship without facing unnecessary barriers.
"Candidate categories must become bridges, not traps," Letsike said, urging professional bodies to make registration processes more accessible while maintaining high standards.
Investing in meaningful workplace opportunities
The Deputy Minister also challenged private companies to invest in mentorship, internships and workplace opportunities that lead to meaningful careers rather than temporary placements.
South Africa's infrastructure development ambitions, she said, will depend on the country's ability to attract, train, and retain a new generation of skilled professionals.
"The developmental state must behave like one state. Young people should not be left to navigate fragmented systems alone," Letsike said.
She added that empowering TVET graduates and young professionals would not only strengthen the built-environment sector, but also contribute to economic growth, improved municipal capacity and more inclusive development.
"The youth of this generation are fighting against an economy that too often produces exclusion. Different battlefield, same demand: dignity, opportunity, recognition, and freedom," she said. – SAnews.gov.za
