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Programme Director
Mme Nontsokolo Mohapi, Executive Mayor of Motheo District
Mr Richmond Ntuli, Provincial executive Manager of Dept. of Labour
Organised Business
Organised Labour
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen.

This Provincial Skills Development Conference brings special warmth in my heart because this demonstrates the benefits of the Reconstruction and Development Programme. This programme declared that our people with their aspirations and collective determination are our most important resources. To this end, this Government introduced relevant strategies, policies and laws to enhance the general and specific abilities of all citizens as our response to our current situation, which should be embedded within the overall economic, employment and social development programmes of the state.

In our own recent past, skin colour determined the type and quality of education a person received. For the majority of blacks it was the education for the servitude, intended to render them servile forever. It is for this reason that the South African labour market experiences a chronic shortage of skilled people. The shortage of skills in our labour market undermines our efforts towards attainment of socio-economic development.

To meet this challenge we need to give more attention to ensuring that the numbers of people who are trained increases and the quality of training improves. Focus should be placed on the outputs and products of the system and the people that the system is designed to support and assist. It is through programmes like this that we stand a chance to respond to the challenges of the changed labour landscape in this country for it demands a new set of skills. There is a need tom equip this Country with skills it needs for economic and employment growth, and social development.

Our establishment in the Free State of the Training and development Institute is a step towards meeting these challenges. Central to objectives of the institute is to ensure that the training and development initiatives are aligned to national prescripts, viz. Skills Development Act, Skills Development Levies Act, SAQA Act, National Human Resources Development strategy, National Skills Development Strategy and others. Our aim is also to ensure that training programmes are competency and needs based, accredited and applicable internally and externally and therefore enhance lifelong learning.

Our preliminary skills audit within the Provincial administration, revealed that we need to build skills in the following areas. Project Management, Financial Management, Strategic Management and planning, Diversity Management, Customer care and HIV/AIDS in the workplace. This month alone, 218 public servants have been trained in these disciplines - we are certain that we will make good inroads in skills development in the Free State.

For this purpose the Free State Provincial government has spent R27 million since 1999 towards the improvement of skills base in the Province. The bulk of the 7000 beneficiaries were the educators. We strongly believe that the strongest foundation for skills development in the free State is skilled educators and trainers. 200 learners from poor communities have been selected to undergo training in sport, health and other sciences.

To achieve all this will require co-operation between Government departments, Development Agencies and Non-governmental organizations at national, Provincial and local level. It will also require the expertise to plan and organize social development projects in such a way that skills development is integral to the activity and that people have the opportunity to acquire credits and qualifications that are accredited within the national Qualifications Framework and thus lay foundation for life long learning. The Free State Development Plan is a good example of the structured involvement of all government departments. In this plan the Province set out to improve the skills and education levels of the people of the Free State.

In conclusion, Mr. Programme Director, it is my belief that our skills revolution will be stillborn without the active involvement and engagement of employers, workers, education and training providers, respective government departments and those who represent the interests and needs of communities in our ever-changing society.

I thank you

Issued by the Office of the Premier, Free State