"The only way to create jobs is to develop skills," says Gauteng's Premier, Panyaza Lesufi.
Lesufi made this statement during an event that was celebrating International Civil Aviation Day, which takes place annually on 7 December and was created to highlight and advance the benefits of international Civil Aviation.
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, both private and commercial.
Lesufi says that "planting the seed" of Civil Aviation as a career in the minds of the youth, is an investment in South Africa's future.
"We have planted the seed, and I'm excited that seed is growing now, because you have to plant the seed while they are still young so that they [the youth] can have this interest; unlike me and you, [we] only knew about Civil Aviation when we were old, so to plant the seed at this early age is a good investment for the country," says the Premier.
South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate has long been one of the most pressing socio-economic problems faced in the country.
One of the key contributors to South Africa’s youth unemployment rate sitting at these alarming rates (63,9% for those aged 15-24 and 42,1% for those aged 25-34 years), is that young work seekers lack sufficient skills, training development and work experience.
Lesufi believes that the number of skills that are ready to be taught to the country's youth will assist in creating jobs, defending the Civil Aviation industry, which falls under the Transportation sector, and also ensure that the sector experiences some growth as well.
