Higher Education, Science and Innovation Deputy Minister Buti Manamela on October 28 officially opened the Gandhi-Mandela Centre of Specialisation for Artisan Skills at the Tshwane South Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College, in Gauteng.
He was joined by the High Commissioner of India to South Africa Jaideep Sarka.
Manamela said the government of India had invested R48-million to help establish the centre.
South Africa and India in July 2018 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together to establish the Gandhi-Mandela Centre of Specialisation for Artisanal Skills, in recognition of the country’s drive to promote quality vocational education and training for young people, as well as to meet the need for artisanal skills in the country.
The Department of Higher Education and Training has committed to launching 26 Centres of Specialisation at TVET colleges across the country, with the aim to prioritise 13 occupational trades in high demand to curb trade skills shortages, as well as reduce unemployment and poverty.
The South African government has allocated R150-million to fund the initial set-up costs of the 26 centres.
Manamela said the department was laying the foundation for differentiation in the college system by selecting certain colleges to focus on particular trades.
“While some colleges may later specialise in the same trades, it is desirable that other colleges will develop expertise in other trades and occupations to ensure less duplication and increased quality specialisation.
“The strategic repositioning of our TVET colleges is particularly important given the challenges and opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The advent of the 4IR will disrupt the nature of work and the labour market as we have known them.
"However, such disruption should not be viewed as another pandemic, but rather as an opportunity to innovate and make our training and development institutions more agile,” he added.