Education & Training

Siviwe Gwarube is the first Democratic Alliance (DA) member to become Minister of Basic Education; an impressive feat that is fraught with peril. The DA did not nearly accomplish all that it should have after forming a government of national unity (GNU) with the African National Congress (ANC).

E-sports, once dismissed as a frivolous pastime, has evolved into a dynamic intersection of entertainment, technology, and education. This transformation is not only reshaping perceptions but also providing significant benefits across educational levels.

Emerging technologies must be integrated into learnerships to equip our youth for the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Equipping our youth with tech-based skills is non-negotiable, and educators must integrate the emerging 4IR technologies into their training programmes. This is the only way that we can prepare our future workforce and ensure that businesses can access the skills they require for global relevance.

The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) presents a promising foundation for building a skilled workforce in South Africa. However, a vital question remains: how can employers ensure a steady pipeline of talent with the necessary skills, and what responsibility do they hold in achieving this?

Skills development in the form of learnerships is an essential element of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) scorecard, accounting for a significant portion of the score for large enterprises in particular. However, not all businesses have the capacity, availability, or ability to take on sufficient learners to meet their obligations.

There are still more than 3,900 South African schools with illegal pit toilets. We have launched a campaign calling on people in South Africa to petition the government to #EndPitToilets in South Africa’s schools, in an ongoing drive to address the issue. As part of the campaign, we have created a stunt, printing a newspaper insert with ink made from sterilised human faeces, taken from pit toilets.

Is your company ready to successfully transition from learnerships to occupational certificates? As the deadline of 30th June approaches for the registration of legacy learnerships, companies must ensure they are prepared for the seismic shift in the skills development landscape. This pivotal moment marks the end of an era for historical learnerships and signals the coming-of-age for the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations’ (QCTO) occupational certificates.

Whether you succeed or fail in the world of design has little to do with whether you went to university, college or neither. It has to do with you, the person behind the design and the decisions you make on your journey to success. Being a great designer is all about the individual, their work ethic, the portfolio they build and very importantly, their love for design.

The demand for highly skilled and adaptable professionals has never been greater. As businesses navigate the complexities of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the digital era, they require graduates equipped not only with technical expertise but also with the soft skills and innovative mindsets necessary to thrive in this dynamic environment.

As South Africa continues to grapple with its massive youth (15-34 years) unemployment rate of 4.7 million individuals (Q4 2023), there is a critical need for innovative approaches to skills development and employability. I view learnerships as an excellent platform for creative training methodologies thereby, paving the way for a more agile and adaptable workforce.