Protocol:
• Programme Director
• CEO of the Property Sector Charter Council, Ms Portia Tau-Sekati
• Stakeholders and practitioners from the construction and property sectors
• Ladies and gentlemen
• And most importantly, the learners who have come here today to learn more about the exciting career opportunities in the built environment – construction and property sectors.

First a word of thanks to the Property Sector Charter Council and all those involved in organising this important event. Thank you for this opportunity to participate and share some thoughts with you today.

Let me start by introducing myself to the learners: My name is Thulas Nxesi – I am a Member of Parliament and Minister of Public Works. Let me explain what that means and the relevance of Public Works to this event The Department of Public Works is responsible for:

• Delivering infrastructure and accommodation to government – all the government office buildings you see - so that government can deliver services to the public. Our priority now is to roll out government precincts in small rural towns – in order to improve the quality of delivery of government services to all people – including in the rural areas.

• Public Works is also responsible for managing government properties – approximately 54,000 land parcels. This is a massive property portfolio which we want to use for economic development, job creation and black empowerment.

• The Department of Public Works also carries the mandate to regulate and transform the built environment – construction and property. Part of this task involves encouraging training, skills development and the production of built environment professionals – particularly women and black professionals – in order to redress the imbalances of the past.

So – with that background – which explains why the organisers invited me to participate in this Construction and Property Career Week – let me start by saying this:
The opportunities are there. If you work hard you can be anything you want to be.

Speaking on Youth Day this year, June 16th, President Zuma pointed to the new challenges facing the Youth of South Africa - the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment. But he went on to say that: “To tackle these challenges successfully, you must empower yourselves through education.”

That is why Education is the single biggest item in government spending and more than R6 billion per year is invested in the National Student Financial Aid Scheme – and we are also building more institutions of higher learning - including three new universities and 12 new technical and vocational training colleges.

But, as government, we are painfully aware that the Youth is bearing the brunt of high levels of unemployment – the result of deep-rooted structural weaknesses in the economy – made worse by the international economic crisis following the financial crash of 2008. Government has responded with a number of initiatives, including:

• Incentives for businesses to employ young people.

• We are also encouraging young people to become entrepreneurs. The Industrial Development Corporation in partnership with the NYDA (National Youth Development Agency) and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) have ring-fenced R 2,7 billion over the next five years for young people to take up opportunities in business.

• In the last financial year also, the NYDA supported one thousand and forty three (1,043) micro and small youth owned enterprises.

• Furthermore, the NYDA has provided non-financial business development support to 63 000 young aspiring and established entrepreneurs.

• As well as providing finance and training, government supports young entrepreneurs through a mentorship programme – where they can be guided and advised by established entrepreneurs.

• The successful Expanded Public Works Programme also provides opportunities of training and short-term employment for young people. Our target is to provide 6 million work opportunities over the five year term of this government.

• Government departments are also providing various training and development programmes that they offer nationally and provincially, as well as in municipalities throughout the country.

The President closed his June 16th speech with these words:

“Our message to young people today is that every young person must take responsibility for their own development and for the path towards economic freedom.

While government and business can provide the opportunities, young people themselves must take the initiative to develop themselves and those around them.”

Above all else this morning, that is the point that I want to make: the opportunities are there – where once black learners were excluded – now the doors of education and training have been opened – but you must walk through those doors of learning – and that means discipline and commitment to study and to work for your goals.

We live in a fast-changing world – what is referred to as the ‘information age’. I am sure that most of the youth here know more than I do about new information and communication technology – so you already have a head start. But it is not enough. Today you also need a broad education, qualifications and skills if you are going to succeed in the wider economy and labour market.

At the end of 2011, I was appointed Minister of Public Works – which was facing all kinds of challenges at the time – one of which was the fact that it was a highly technical department – but lacked many of the technical skills needed to operate in the construction and property environment.

So as part of our Turnaround Plan we decided to grow our own technical capacity. Public Works now has active schools, bursary, candidacy, internship and artisan programmes with some 1,297 participants.

Two years ago, in order to address negative audit findings – and as part of a programme to improve financial management of the Department – we employed over 100 unemployed commerce graduates – working under qualified supervision – to go out to all the regions to work on audit problems. I am pleased to say that over half of those unemployed graduates were offered employment in the private sector, the rest remaining with Public Works. [The Department also received an unqualified audit opinion – partly as a result of their work.] By the way when it comes to an audit:
• ‘unqualified’ is good
• ‘qualified’ is not so good.
- The opposite to what you might think.

Last year the Department trained 120 youths in KZN and Mpumalanga to operate water treatment services. Currently a further 320 unemployed science and engineering graduates are receiving training and will be appointed to 97 water facilities across the country.

Other programmes include the following:

• Providing assistance to students from FET and Higher Education Institutions with workplace /experiential training and internship to meet requirements of their qualifications enabling them to be employable;

• Learnerships - which offer matriculants a training opportunity whilst also giving them access to employment opportunities. Areas of training include:
• Office Administration
• Public Sector Accounting
• Customer Management
• Information Technology
• General Security Services

• Two types of Internships are offered:
o  36 month Technical Internships (Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; Quantity Surveying, Building Science, Construction Project Management, Architectural Studies, Town Planning, Property Valuation, Water Care, Interior Design, Property Studies, Water Care, Analytical Chemistry, Environmental Studies) 

o 24 month Support Internships: Supply Chain Management, Internal Audit, Communications, Public Relations, Human Resource Management, International Relations, Legal Services, Office Administration, Customer and Client Management, Security Management, Strategic Management, Operations Management, and Economic Development.

• Artisan Trainee Programme - The programme assists youth to obtain Artisanship status with the aim of capacitating the technical Workshop structure of Public Works. Areas of training include: Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Carpentry, Bricklaying, Paining and Millwright, Fitter and Turner, and Boiler Maker

• Young Professionals /Candidacy Programme - is aimed at creating a flow of professionals into the construction sector. Candidates are taken through structured mentorship linked to professional registration with a built environment sector professional council. Areas of training include: Engineering (Structural, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical); Quantity Surveying, Construction Project Management, Town Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Property Studies, Interior Design. Upon completion and attainment of a Professional registration, these candidates are absorbed into permanent posts in the Department.

•  Property and Asset Management Development Programme - is aimed at training graduates in specialised areas within the Property and Asset Management sections of the department such as: Investment Analysis, Industry Research, Asset Management, Property Development and Finance.

Looking forward, the National Department of Public Works has also partnered with training authorities in the following areas:

• The Local Government Education and Training Authority (LGSETA) will fund the Finance and Supply Chain Management Graduate Internship in the 2015/2016 financial year that will result in the appointment of 250 Graduate Interns.

• The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) continues to fund Technical Internships, the Artisan Development Programme (133), Candidacy (98), Bursaries (141), Skills Development (120), and technical learnerships (440) in the 2015/2016 financial year.

• The Department of Public Works has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the organisation - Generational Training - and is hosting 306 Water/ Chemical/ Environmental Science graduates in its Water Treatment facilities across the country.

• The Department has further appointed 32 Process Controllers, due to start in October 2015. They will be trained to be Certified Water Professionals. 

• The PMTE (Property Management Trading Entity) which falls under Public Works - is developing the Property Management Project with the South African Graduates Development Association (SAGDA) and the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB), with a target of creating a pool of qualified personnel for PMTE. 3 900 youth will benefit from this initiative.

• For the 2015/2016 financial year, we will continue with the roll out of the Internal Auditors Professional Programme which will result in the production of Chartered Internal Auditors for the department. Currently 24 officials are participating in the programme that is facilitated by the Institute of Internal Auditors.

• For 2015/2016, NDPW has entered into agreements with MICT-SETA for an accelerated digital skills programme. An estimated 70 youth are anticipated to participate in this programme.

So again the point is this: training and career opportunities are there in the construction and property industries – and remember, I was only speaking about the government sector. There is, of course, also the private sector.  To the learners here I would say this: Use this week to learn and find out more. From my side, you are also welcome to contact the Department of Public Works for careers information.

Let me end on a serious note. I am very aware of the many pressures that are brought to bear on our young people – and I am aware that young people sometimes succumb to temptation. I want to say to young people that if you do get into some kind of trouble, it is not the end of the world. There are people who can help you – no matter how big the problem seems to you. Speak to someone about it: a parent, a family member or friend, your pastor, a teacher, a counsellor – but don’t bottle it up in side. Apart from that note of caution, let me repeat: never forget that you can be anything you want to be. We are here to assist you. From your side it requires hard work and commitment.

I wish you well in your future choice of career.
Thank you.