Mlambo-Ngcuka proposes remedy for unemployed graduates
26-JUL-06
As political head of the Asgisa initiative she has identified the shortage of skills as the most pressing constraint on the economy and biggest impediment to achieving 6% growth.
“The Asgisa interventions are dependent upon skills development in key priority areas, as skills feature as some of the most critical areas of need for the success of the entire programme".
"Sadly, we still have the challenge of some youth who fail to acquire job opportunities even after investing in a good three to four years of tertiary education”.
“In a survey conducted by the Department of Education, in the context of unemployed graduates, to establish what it was that employers wanted, it was concluded that the fundamental qualities are good communication skills, problem solving skills and information technology skills,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said said.
“The foundation of these traits is obtained from reading, writing, calculation and ICT training”.
“The skills challenges that we face today necessitates that we understand the entire picture of from where skills come, and where they are in demanded. It is for that reason that our various skills pathways contribute differently to our society”.
The Deputy President explained that in 2005, the country had 700 000 students in universities, against 400 000 in colleges and other tertiary training.
“This trend is very different from other international models used as benchmarks in developed economies,” she said. “The international norm is that for every one student at university, there are seven in the lower level tertiary education system”.
