As part of the Department’s Skills Revolution programme, the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma accompanied by speaker for eThekwini Metro Cllr T Nyawose, Whip for Human Settlements Committee in eThekwini Metro Cllr A Ndlovu and Department of Human Settlements’ DDG Thulani Bhengu and Corporate Services Chief Director Max Mbili today 26 September 2024 in conjunction with National Skills Fund (NSF) launched the Skills Training and Capacity Development Programme’s first phase of the programme which comprises of 1000 learners to be trained on Community House Building and Construction Health and Safety with a total of 2000 learners that will benefit with this theoretical and practical training.
In the 2022/2023 financial year, the Department of Human Settlements in KwaZulu-Natal embarked on a process to leverage funding for upscaling skills development within the human settlements sector.
The process began in earnest with consultations with the National Skills Fund (NSF) to find a common understanding of programmes to be supported as part of skills development.
Therefore NSF conducted a due diligence process to verify the capacity and suitability of the Department of Human Settlements to undertake the process of skills development.
The NSF then followed all its internal processes and approved the Department’s application for funding on the 2nd of February 2024 with a total amount of R123 million that has been approved by the NSF to undertake training of 2000 learners in key areas including Community House Building (NQF Level 2 and Construction Health and Safety (NQF Level 3).
The skills development programme will be implemented for a period of eighteen (18)months which is inclusive of processes of recruitment and selection, inductions as well and enrolment of learners.
MEC Duma addressed the learners as future drivers of the economy. He impressed upon them to use the skills and knowledge given to them by the Department to become self-reliant. This will reduce the number of lives lost to social ills and crime.
“A focus on specialized skills will reduce the level of unemployment, through the creation of such initiatives we combat the rate of crime and reduce the level of social ills as well” said MEC Duma before he signed learner contracts.
MEC Duma emphasized that the success of major projects will not only be gauged by their quality but by the number of previously disadvantaged persons who gained employment skills and especially by the number of those who were previously disadvantaged and were at the helm of the construction and delivery of the project.
“Previously disadvantaged, and blacks in particular, must not just focus on manual labour but specialist fields such as construction engineers, civil engineers, surveyors and project managers,” Duma said
Challenges of poverty and unemployment will not be addressed through one strategy but through a multitude of strategies such as the development of skills, the creation of a local economic basis and infrastructural services.
In addition, the Department has a number of programmes to empower the previously disadvantaged, particularly the youth.
These programmes include the bursary programme, work integrated learning, candidacy development programme, internship programme as well as expanded public works programme
The time now is for a skills revolution and not a skills process. Youth must use the skills given by the Department to become self-reliant and be drivers of the economy.
