Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande believes Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) have played a critical role in the country’s skills development.
They explained that through their sector-specific focus and experts, SETAs contribute significantly to addressing skills gaps, and skills mismatches, promoting employment and enhancing productivity within their respective industries.
The minister was speaking at the SETA Skills Summit in Gauteng. Held under the theme, “Together, Skilling the Nation", the two-day summit aims to provide an opportunity for the sector to reflect on its execution of the mandate of skills development.
The summit aimed to foster strong partnerships and collaboration among all SETAs, integrate SETA communication to disseminate uniform messages to the broader South African community and Facilitate impactful collaboration of SETA operations on significant programmes and projects.
They also sought to identify key trends across economic sectors to support stakeholders through skills migration and forecasting the SETA role beyond 2030.
Our SETAs also play a crucial role in aligning training and development efforts with the needs of employers and the labour market, thus ensuring the development of a skilled and capable workforce that can become a catalyst for economic growth and development.
CEO of Fibre Processing and Manufacturing SETA, Dr Felleng Yende revealed that SETAs will collaborate on six new initiatives that will prioritise high-impact approaches rather than simply focusing on large numbers of participants.
We want to actually make sure that we make a difference and that we are able to see the outcome and measure the outcomes of all the initiatives
One of the key programmes centres on entrepreneurship, with a particular emphasis on technological skills and future-proof careers. This programme is designed to target young people who are still exploring their career options.
We are arguing that entrepreneurship is an opportunity where we can be able to upskill the entrepreneurs that are in the system
The SETAs aim to shift the mindset of young graduates, encouraging them to consider launching their businesses after school instead of solely pursuing traditional employment paths.
We are saying to young people who are in grade 12 and who are in grade 10... they must think ahead, they must think big.
To ensure the success of this entrepreneurial program, the SETAs will provide participants with mentorship, coaching, and ongoing evaluation.
Recognising the importance of responsible use of public funds, the SETAs are also developing a framework that prioritises clear systems, accountability, and measurable results.
Overall, this collaborative effort seeks has the ultimate goal of producing a new generation of skilled and tech-savvy entrepreneurs who can address the challenge of unemployment and contribute meaningfully to the South African economy.
