RAISING AWARENESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS SKILLS TRAINING FOR THE YOUTH
South Africa is facing a chronic unemployment crisis, with a majority of the youth finding themselves in a precarious situation of poverty and hopelessness. The labour market is not structurally built to absorb all of the unemployed graduates and other job seekers, owing largely to a combination of factors that have an impact on the economy and broader society.
In yesteryear, our country used to have a thriving environment of trade schools, practical skills development and training centers. But something happened along the way and we went completely off-track. These institutions started declining in popularity and there was a gradual disappearance of artisan skills in our communities, although not completely.
Trade or craftsmanship is very important. People who make things or fix them with their hands have been an integral part of society since forever. The technical work involved usually requires advanced skills which not many people possess and as such, a high level of training and practice is required to operate at an optimum level.
Society wouldn’t function without plumbers, electricians, carpenters, tailors,, welders, bricklayers, plasterers, tanners etc.
These skills are central to the economy and general home/ households maintenance, as most are needed frequently when geysers burst, taps leak and when plugs and lights stop working etc. There’s always a window of opportunity for skilled/ qualified artisans to easily generate income in communities that do not have such professional services.
Unfortunately, not a lot of young people are aware of this. Sufficient awareness needs to be raised about the many opportunities that are available and that can also lift many of our people into skills development and empowerment. According to The Centre for Development and Enterprise, an independent policy analysis and advocacy organization, the country has around 153 ‘focus schools’, comprising 43 agricultural schools and 110 technical schools.
In the Gauteng province alone, the economic hub of the country, there are a total of eight TVET colleges (https://applicationstatus20.co.za/gauteng-tvet-colleges-online-application/ ). In the year 2016, there were about 705 397 students enrolled throughout the whole country.
The critical shortage of skills is palpable in the townships. This is where the work of raising awareness and connecting young people to resources, material support and systems comes in handy.
The benefits of technical training include the expansion of one’s skill set and knowledge in the particular trade. For example, in carpentry in the context of the construction industry, one is given the versatility of working in insulating office buildings, installing drywall and kitchen cabinets in homes. It even extends to other tasks such as installing structures and fixtures like windows and molding.
Another advantage is that you don’t have to travel to acquire knowledge and empowerment. This is because there are community-based colleges in your area that can equip you with the adequate skills (click here to find out more https://www.dhet.gov.za/SitePages/Map.aspx)
A total of 50 registered and accredited public TVET colleges exist, operating across an estimated 364 campuses strategically placed in both rural and urban areas https://tvetcolleges.co.za
As a young person who’s qualified/skilled in a specific trade, you can run a lucrative enterprise by rendering your services in the community, even in an informal sense. The same goes for plumbing, electronics, hairdressing, electricity or any other trade.
Coupled with business skills programmes and mentoring from some of TRY EASY or any other experienced professionals or specific government entities such as the Small Economic Development Agency (SEDA) , the sky is the limit for any driven person who’s willing to succeed.
Start today and take control of your destiny. Register at a TVET college near you and open up a world of amazing possibilities. The power is in your hands.
For more information on the entrepreneurship journey and opportunities regarding skills training and educational programmes, please follow these organizations;
NYDA:
- http://www.nyda.gov.za/
- Facebook – National Youth Development Agency
- Twitter – @NYDARSA
SEDA:
- http://www.seda.org.za
- https://m.facebook.com › SedaSmall Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) – Home | Facebook
- https://mobile.twitter.com › seda_zaSeda (@Seda_za) / Twitter
TVET Colleges Centres for Entrepreneurship and Rapid Incubation:
https://gscollege.edu.za/campus/welcome-centre-entrepreneurship-rapid-incubator