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Education & Skills Development News

GIZ calls for expressions of interest for a project to improve artisan training in South Africa

By: Schalk Burger 30th November 2020 German international cooperation for sustainable development and international education agency GIZ has issued a call for expressions of interest from service providers in South Africa to manage a process to improve the quality and market relevance of technical and vocational education and... →

Pandemic serves as catalyst for blended learning

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 26th November 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has acted a catalyst for a future of blended learning in Africa; however, it has also highlighted a number of challenges that this learning model poses for the continent, which must first be dealt with, Future of Education Summit founder Rakesh Wahi said on November 26. He... →

Future of Education Summit founder Rakesh Wahi outlines the impact of the pandemic on education and the blended learning model of the future.

Nzimande announces multidisciplinary team to manage Covid-19 outbreaks in tertiary education

By: Yvonne Silaule 26th November 2020 A multidisciplinary investigation team that includes members from the World Health Organization, the Department of Health and the National Health Laboratory Service has been assembled to manage and contain Covid-19 outbreaks in the tertiary education sector. According to the Minister of Higher... →

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande

CIDB acts on conviction that creation of construction jobs is at centre of economic recovery

By: Donna Slater 25th November 2020 In a sector hit hard by job losses and a general lack of work, initiatives in the construction industry designed to support the growth, and survival, of emerging contractors, should attract greater public attention and draw the support from established companies in the construction industry,... →

Saice launches career growth platform for engineers

By: Donna Slater 25th November 2020 The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) has launched an innovative new platform – Saice Connect – that enables its members to network and engage with potential employers and like-minded individuals. The platform is designed to bridge the gap between skills shortages in many... →

Global workforce to reach highest level of risk in 2021 – International SOS

By: Simone Liedtke 25th November 2020 The risk to the global workforce has reached its highest level since 2016, according to the findings of International SOS's 'Risk Outlook 2021' report. The outlook reveals findings from the Business Resilience Trends survey of over 1 400 risk professionals across 99 countries, carried out by... →

International SOS security director for intelligence and operations James Bird discusses the findings of the Risk Outlook 2021 report. Video editing: Darlene Creamer.

Rough road ahead for VUCA-plagued trucking industry

20th November 2020 It is going to take at least five years for South Africa’s economy to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, says Road Freight Association (RFA) chief executive Gavin Kelly. →

DRIVING LEGITIMACY Road freight operators should transport efficiently, safely and refuse to operate in non-sustainable circumstances

Government departments implement initiatives to create more jobs

By: Donna Slater 16th November 2020 Various government departments have commenced with the rollout of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to protect and create jobs as part of his emergency relief package that has been mobilised in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and to address the impacts thereof. To date, Public Works and... →

Pandemic challenges exacerbated for industry

13th November 2020 While construction sites were able to reopen in early May for civil projects, ongoing delays in terms of both the public sector being slow to change gears and client’s additional regulations around health and safety, have exacerbated challenges for both property development and construction... →

COVID-19 CONUNDRUM The Power Group’s construction arm has been hit with challenges no one could have foreseen with Covid-19

Makwetu hailed as gentle, unwavering giant in the fight against corruption

By: Sane Dhlamini 12th November 2020 Business Unity South Africa (Busa) president Sipho Pityana has hailed outgoing Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu as a gentle and yet unwavering giant in the fight against corruption and maladministration, following the news of his death. Makwetu died on Wednesday, at a hospital in Johannesburg,... →

Kimi Makwetu

B4SA proposes alternatives to another hard lockdown in event of a second wave

By: Donna Slater 10th November 2020 To restore and boost investor and consumer confidence in South Africa, Business for South Africa (B4SA) is requesting certainty from government that there will not be another “hard economic lockdown” – such as those of Alert Levels 3 to 5 – in South Africa in the event of a second wave of... →

Ramaphosa urges holiday vigilance to avoid second wave of virus

By: Sane Dhlamini 9th November 2020 With the festive season fast approaching, President Cyril Ramaphosa has asked for vigilance from South Africans to avoid a possible second wave of the coronavirus. He is expected to address the nation this week with an update on government’s Covid-19 strategy. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

African informal sector is disproportionate

By: Donna Slater 6th November 2020 The informal employment sector within Africa is diverse and presents a range of challenges, notably with a higher percentage of women being employed and a correlation between the informal sector and skills, Ghana-based African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET) research and policy... →

African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET) research and policy engagements senior director Dr Edward Brown discusses the informal business environment in Africa.

Shift in strategy to maximise offering

By: Halima Frost 6th November 2020 Bearings manufacturer and distributor SKF held a virtual webinar last month to discuss the company’s three-pronged strategy shift to better meet client requirements. “The strategy has encouraged every part of the company to rethink the way it works, especially SKF’s core research and development... →

LEARNING CURVE The ability to re-look at the company's research and development strategy has been important to SKF during the Covid-19 pandemic

Fibre-optic tech monitors bearing parameters

By: Halima Frost 6th November 2020 Bearing manufacturer and distributor SKF says its fibre-optic sensing technology used in its bearings to capture their working parameters, is “a world first”. The technology provides instant access to a variety of bearings data, including axial versus radial loads, polar lots of the bearing´s... →

FULLY LOADED The fibre-optic load-sensing bearings developed by SKF gather data such as load and stress on pumps and compressors at a distance

Youth robotics training programme successfully completed during Covid-19 lockdown

By: Donna Slater 5th November 2020 Paramount Labs – the research and innovation division of aerospace and technology company Paramount Group – in partnership with the South African Air Force (SAAF), has successfully completed its newly-launched robotics training programme with the first group of young students who enrolled as part... →

Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan presents opportunity to build a better economy, says Saice

By: Donna Slater 4th November 2020 The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan tabled by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October, provides an opportunity to build a better structured economy, reports South African Institution of Civil Engineering CEO Vishaal Lutchman. Following Ramaphosa’s announcement of the plan, Finance Minister... →

PPPFA invalidity declaration has no effect on BBBEE Act, says commission

By: Donna Slater 4th November 2020 The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Commission says the ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal that declared the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) Regulations of 2017 invalid, has no effect on the BBBEE Act and its requirements. The BBBEE Act permits organs of... →

Metso Outotec to sell Vereeniging operations

By: Simone Liedtke 3rd November 2020 Consultations evaluating the closure or other alternatives related to former Metso Outotec operations in Vereeniging, South Africa, have been concluded and resulted in the decision to divest the fabrication, machining and assembly operations and close, or rearrange, the rest of the operations.... →

Difficulties heightened during pandemic, company forges ahead

By: Mamaili Mamaila 30th October 2020 South Africa’s subdued economic growth has been well recorded – even prior to the pandemic, says industrial equipment supplier Verder Pumps South Africa MD Darryl Macdougall. →

CHECK THIS OUT Verder Pumps South Africa also launched the new Verder HI-Clean AODD and EODD pumps earlier this month, with more announcements planned heading into 2021

Private-sector investment key amid challenges

By: Mamaili Mamaila 30th October 2020 From an economic perspective, the Covid-19 pandemic has not affected countries in Africa, apart from South Africa, as much as countries on other continents. →

GET IT TOGETHER While there is so much potential in Africa, political certainty is required in conjunction with more streamlined procurement processes

Ramaphosa in self-quarantine, not showing Covid-19 symptoms

By: Sane Dhlamini 28th October 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa will be performing his duties from home after a guest at a fundraising dinner he attended tested positive for the coronavirus. According to The Presidency, Ramaphosa is not displaying symptoms. Ramaphosa is regularly screened by the South African Military Health Service... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Numsa to picket at RMI, Mibco offices

By: Marleny Arnoldi 22nd October 2020 The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) will hold a march to all the offices of the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) on October 27 to hand over memorandums of demands at each venue. The RMI is an employer body representing many component manufacturers in the automotive industry. →

WEF says machine-assisted jobs will emerge quicker than expected

By: Marleny Arnoldi 21st October 2020 The World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) 'Future of Jobs 2020' report finds that Covid-19 has caused the labour market to change faster than expected. The report envisions that, by 2025, automation and a new division of labour between humans and machines will disrupt or displace 85-million jobs... →

Economic recovery plan will protect jobs in vulnerable sectors - Ramaphosa

By: Sane Dhlamini 19th October 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that the economic recovery plan he presented last week will protect jobs in vulnerable sectors that have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The Presidential Employment Stimulus announced last week involves a public investment of... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

S Africa must put into effect revenue collection – Haroon Bhorat

By: Sane Dhlamini 16th October 2020 University of Cape Town Professor Haroon Bhorat said on Friday that for South Africa to manage its deficit going forward, apart from hoping that growth gets kickstarted in the remaining part of the year, it has to move quickly in effecting revenue collection. Bhorat, who is also a member of... →

South Africa becoming a major international business outsourcing destination

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th October 2020 Government and private sector efforts to build digital skills capacity among South Africa’s youth over the past five years are bearing fruit, says nonprofit organisation Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA). CEO Andy Searle says these initiatives, along with several other factors, have... →

Gautrain, Numsa settle wage dispute

By: Simone Liedtke 15th October 2020 Gautrain and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) have signed a wage proposal made by the Bombela Operating Company (BOC), who manages the Gautrain, effectively ending the strike that started on October 5. The standard Gautrain train service will resume on October 16, while... →

ABB lauds Zurich, Ghana universities’ engineering scholarship programme

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th October 2020 Global technology company ABB has expressed its support for the launch of an engineering scholarship programme for Africa. ETH Zurich, in Switzerland, and Ashesi University, in Ghana, are working with ABB and other Swiss multinationals Barry Callebaut, Bühler, LafargeHolcim and Nestlé to ensure... →

Civil engineering council now has over 1 500 members

By: Simone Liedtke 14th October 2020 Another 373 firms have registered for membership of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI), meaning that “companies in the civil engineering sector continue to recognise the value” of the council, says BCCEI general secretary Kevin Moodley. This brought the total number... →

BCCEI general secretary Kevin Moodley

Sacci says trade activity improving

By: Simone Liedtke 14th October 2020 Trade activity has improved in South Africa, with the seasonally adjusted Trade Activity Index having measured 50 index points in September, implying that half of the respondents experienced better conditions than in August. Trade activity previously improved to 37 index points in July, and then... →

Covid-19 has widened unemployment level disparities between cities, rural areas

By: Donna Slater 13th October 2020 A recent research report reveals that government’s Covid-19 response needs to be targeted more carefully to the distinctive challenges and opportunities of different places. The 'Visagie & Turok 2020' report, compiled by University of the Free State National Research Foundation research professor... →

University of the Free State National Research Foundation research professor Ivan Turok

Partnership formed to develop next generation of ethical, effective women leaders

By: Donna Slater 12th October 2020 The Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) and the International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA) have formed a long-term partnership aimed at developing the next generation of ethical and effective women leadership. The partnership’s first project is a custom programme for the IWFSA’s... →

Labour market stakeholders urged to comment on gender-based violence draft code

By: Donna Slater 12th October 2020 The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) urges stakeholders in workplaces to make submissions on the Draft Code of Good on the Prevention and Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work before October 21. The code provides a framework for the interpretation and implementation... →

Consultancy urges government to revive R&D spend

By: Marleny Arnoldi 6th October 2020 Consultancy Cova Advisory has called on government to boost its support for research and development (R&D) in South Africa forts to help weather the economic storm that Covid-19 has brought about. Director Tumelo Chipfupa on October 1 hosted a webinar about the impact of the pandemic on the R&D... →

Inaugural public−private training programme for African infrastructure sector starts

By: Simone Liedtke 6th October 2020 The Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub) and Meridian have announced the start of training for the first cohort of fellows of the Africa Infrastructure Fellowship Program (AIFP). The AIFP is a public−private initiative designed to upskill African government infrastructure specialists and enable... →

South Africa lacks political might, original thinking required to tackle unemployment crisis, says BLSA CEO

By: Donna Slater 5th October 2020 Although the Covid-19 crisis was always going to cause an unemployment crisis, Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso says, to her mind, the problem is a lack of “original thinking and political courage” to make radical changes to how employment works in South Africa.  She explains that... →

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