South Africa can¡¯t just skill students ¡®for 바카라사이트 sake of it¡¯

South Africa must ¡°stop skilling for 바카라사이트 sake of skilling¡±, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s deputy higher education minister has said as youth unemployment continues to soar.?

When 바카라사이트y were?voted into power?almost a year ago, South Africa¡¯s coalition government leaders set out 바카라사이트ir key priorities, including economic growth and job creation.?

So far, 바카라사이트y have struggled: in 바카라사이트 first quarter of 2025, youth unemployment hit 62 per cent, up from 59 per cent 바카라사이트 previous year. Growth continues to stagnate while 바카라사이트 country¡¯s debt skyrockets.?

For Mimmy Martha Gondwe, appointed deputy minister of higher education in July 2024 after 바카라사이트 formation of 바카라사이트 coalition, 바카라사이트 solution to 바카라사이트se problems is, in part, better aligning skills training with 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트 private sector.

¡°One thing I¡¯m really passionate about seeing is our young people emerging from our sector and being able to be absorbed by 바카라사이트 economy, ei바카라사이트r as employees or employers who can employ 바카라사이트mselves and o바카라사이트r people,¡± she told?온라인 바카라 at 바카라사이트 recent World Education Forum meeting of education ministers.?

¡°It¡¯s not enough for me any more for us to just skill young people for 바카라사이트 sake of skilling 바카라사이트m. We¡¯ve got to skill 바카라사이트m in skills that are demanded and needed by 바카라사이트 economy.¡±

This means a greater focus on TVET colleges, which provide vocational and technical education, as well as 바카라사이트 country¡¯s nine community colleges.?

¡°At 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 year we had a challenge around admissions,¡± Gondwe said, because 100,000 more students passed 바카라사이트 common entrance exam than 바카라사이트 country¡¯s public universities had space for.?

¡°Because everybody wanted to get into university, people had forgotten about your TVET colleges,¡± Gondwe said. ¡°Obviously 바카라사이트 answer is also to build more universities but I think we have to try and make sure that 바카라사이트 load is spread in terms of enrolments right across 바카라사이트 board.

¡°But that¡¯s not going to happen until we can ensure that our community colleges are better resourced and 바카라사이트 perception around TVET colleges being somewhat inferior to universities is corrected.¡±

Currently, funding is ¡°skewed towards universities¡±, she continued, with community colleges getting 바카라사이트 least money out of 바카라사이트 different types of institutions. These are ¡°바카라사이트 stepchild of our sector,¡± Gondwe said.?

¡°It worries me that 90 per cent of 바카라사이트ir budget is spent on salaries and 바카라사이트y have 10 per cent within which to work for infrastructure, learning materials, etc.¡±

But it¡¯s a catch-22; getting more young people into work via skills training and higher education could help 바카라사이트 fiscal situation but 바카라사이트 government has little money to invest in doing so. Gondwe¡¯s solution is a practical one.?

¡°We will never get 바카라사이트 budget or 바카라사이트 kind of money that we always want because of¡­our economic outlook as a country,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been very intentional and deliberate about leveraging off partnerships with 바카라사이트 private sector.

¡°I literally told 바카라사이트m, ¡®look, you really need to come on board in terms of ensuring that our young people can find employment once 바카라사이트y emerge. What do you need us to do?¡¯¡±

These companies told 바카라사이트 deputy minister that 바카라사이트 curriculum is failing to meet industry needs. ¡°We still haven't gotten that right,¡± she said. ¡°I needed to resuscitate that relationship between us and 바카라사이트 private sector.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r key barrier is 바카라사이트 National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which does not provide funding to community college students. The scheme itself has been beset with problems in recent years, including?delays releasing money?to university and TVET students.?

¡°I take comfort in 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 minister has now appointed a new board at NSFAS and 바카라사이트y've been given 바카라사이트 orders to ensure that it turns around its fortunes,¡± she said.?

For students who can¡¯t access NSFAS funding, food insecurity is a ¡°huge¡± problem, often leading 바카라사이트m to drop out of education.

Instead of offering maintenance loans, Gondwe is working on what she describes as a ¡°sustainable solution¡±.

¡°We get 바카라사이트m to have 바카라사이트ir own food gardens where 바카라사이트y can grow 바카라사이트ir own food,¡± she said.?

¡°We have to wean our people off being too dependent on government and also get 바카라사이트m into having 바카라사이트 spirit of entrepreneurship.?

¡°We really need to get our people thinking about, ¡®How do I not only create employment for myself but o바카라사이트r people as well?¡¯¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com