Deputy President David Mabuza has called on government to address the issue of young people dropping out of school prior to matriculation as it "threatens the path to economic recovery".
Speaking during the hybrid fourth Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Summit, on August 10, he said that failure to address such shortcomings would result in an even higher unemployment rate.
“We need to agree on policies and systems that will improve educational outcomes, as well as ensure that young people stay in school until they attain a qualification thereby placing them on an equal footing with their peers as they compete in the labour market.
“We must address the issue of young people who drop out at various points of their schooling, as the implications of delaying this response explain a cohort of young people robbed of practicing their natural talents. It also means that families are robbed of agents of change who could be contributing positively to uplift their families, their communities, our country and the world," he commented.
The HRDC Summit focused on building the foundation and skills for a transformed economy and society, as well as building a capable and ethical developmental State.
“These objectives are significant, since the HRDC, as a multi-stakeholder advisory body, is uniquely positioned to ensure that we capacitate the unemployed, those in workplaces and those still in our schooling system, with requisite skills that can respond to new world realities and to make South Africa globally competitive," Mabuza noted.