KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has called for urgent action to eliminate fragmentation within the province's skills development system.
Speaking at the close of the Third Term KwaZulu-Natal Human Resource Development (HRD) Council orientation, held recently in Umhlanga, Ntuli, who chairs the provincial HRD Council, said greater coordination, accountability and capacity building within the skills development ecosystem are essential to addressing the growing mismatch between available skills and labour market demands.
He urged Council members to rely on credible data and statistics to help the province eradicate misalignment and mismatches in the skills required in the current employment sector.
“The time for sugar-coating issues is over. Now is the time to tell us the things we do not want to hear so that we can solve the pertinent issue of chronic unemployment among the youth, especially graduates.
“This chronic unemployment is a ticking time bomb, which when left unattended, will lead to our destruction. Unemployment is a sore thumb and a painful thorn in the flesh of the province,” Ntuli said.
The Premier said the Human Resource Development Council has a responsibility to provide practical, honest and evidence-based guidance that will help government, institutions of higher learning and industry to respond more effectively to the province's unemployment crisis.
He noted that skills development initiatives must be directly aligned with the lived realities of communities and the province's economic challenges.
Ntuli also congratulated newly appointed Human Resource Development Council members, saying they had already demonstrated a willingness to confront the province's unemployment and skills challenges.
“This is the calibre of leaders that our Human Resource Development Council deserves. Leaders who are not afraid to tackle unemployment and skills challenges head-on,” Ntuli said.
In an effort to address issues related to the local economy, Ntuli announced plans to convene a roundtable on the spaza shop economy. He said the roundtable will be aligned with the development of entrepreneurial skills and the broader objective of expanding opportunities for local economic participation.
"Human Resource Development cannot be pursued at the expense of the lived realities that face our people on a daily basis," Ntuli said.
The Premier also said the ongoing debate around undocumented foreign nationals laid bare the question of skills facing local citizens, particularly in relation to access to opportunities and participation in the economy.
He concluded his remarks by urging Human Resource Development Council members to act with urgency in resolving the skills mismatch and misalignment facing KwaZulu-Natal and the country.
Ntuli said the Council must play a decisive role in building a skilled, responsive and competitive workforce capable of supporting economic growth, reducing unemployment and creating meaningful opportunities for young people across the province. – SAnews.gov.za
