At a briefing held by Arup last month, Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Hlengiwe Mkhize affirmed the message sent across the industry by the Arup Education Trust that encourages corporates to get involved in empowering South Africa’s youth through educational support.
The Deputy Minister noted that awarding bursaries and enhancing chances of inclusion in the economy through internships and general exposure to the whole value chain of the built environment was important for the enhancement of South Africa’s economy.
“There is sufficient evidence that people who have had good exposure to the workplace have a good chance of being entrepreneurs or managers, or being absorbed into the sector and other related sectors post education.”
According to a report released by labour market specialist Adcorp in 2013, the South African economy has shed about 36 000 workers from various sectors, with the biggest losses occurring in permanent employment. The most significant job losses were in manufacturing and construction.
The report noted that, while these jobs were lost, highly skilled professions, such as engineering, stood out as being the only sector in which new jobs were created.
“Although there is an increase in the number of registered engineers, there is still that need to get the girl-child to be involved and participate. We all know that, with the past stereotypes of our society and the patriarchal laws which existed at that time, women were excluded,” she said.
She mentioned that the National Development Plan was a strategic pillar that reinforced and strengthened partnerships.
“Our goal is to promote socioeconomic development by reducing and eliminating poverty, contributing to job creation and bridging the digital divide by reducing inequality,” she stated.