Deputy President David Mabuza is the North West province this morning for the 21st Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) meeting.
The meeting at ORBIT TVET College in Rustenburg will receive a report on the implementation of fee-free higher education in South Africa and other matters related to the management of bursaries in institutions of higher learning, the Presidency said.
In 2017, government announced that free education would be implemented to support poor students whose parents’ combined annual income is R350 000 or less.
Since then, government has put in funding of R7.166 billion, which has been allocated in 2018 to fund bursaries for children of poor and working-class families entering universities and TVET colleges – with R4.581 billion set aside for qualifying university students and R2.585 billion allocated for TVET college students.
The meeting will receive a progress report on the implementation of both the North West and Northern Cape provincial human resource development strategies.
Furthermore, the meeting will consider the mandate of the newly launched North West provincial HRD council, the Presidency said.
The provincial structures of the HRDC, consisting of representatives of organised labour, government, business, civil society and academics are established to fast track the implementation of the Human Resource Development Strategy and to further scale down efforts of developing the requisite skills for the economy in line with National Development Plan 2030.
While at ORBIT college, the Deputy President -- in his capacity as the chairperson of the HRDC -- will embark on a guided tour to different training workstations, which showcase innovation, partnerships, entrepreneurship and transfer of skills to students.
Deputy President Mabuza will be accompanied by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Naledi Pandor, North West Premier Job Mokgoro and other senior government officials.
The HRDC, established in 2010, is a national, multi-tiered and multi-stakeholder advisory body.
It aims to build the human resource development base required to ensure a prosperous and inclusive South African society and economy. – SAnews.gov.za
