Address by Minister of Labour, Honourable M Mdladlana at the official launch of the Construction Manufacturing Qualification and opening of the PPC Academy in Mafikeng

Programme Director
The Executive Mayor of Mafikeng: Councillor Ms Mosa Sejosingoe and members of your staff
MECs of the North West Government: Rev Johannes Tselapedi, Nikiwe Mangqo and Mr Yawa
PPC Board of Directors presents here today, the CEO, Mr John Gommersal and members of your staff
Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) Chief Executive Officer Mr Livhuwani Nengovhela
Government officials present here today
Distinguished guest
Ladies and gentlemen

Thank you for inviting me to be part of this occasion and to stand witness to the launch of the PPC Cement Manufacturing Qualifications and the Opening of the PPC Academy. Your timing therefore could not have been more appropriate given the economic boom that we are experiencing especially in the construction sector and the high demands and responsibilities placed on us in preparation for the 2010 first ever world soccer spectacular event to happen on the African soil. Because we must make sure that we produce the right cement.

Our government has reconfirmed its support towards education, training and skills development for our people. Skills are one of the six identified binding constraints that we must address to support the economy of the country. The President has also assigned the Deputy President, Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka to lead a team of Government Minister's, Business, Trade union federations and NGOs under the banner of a Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) in identifying and addressing blockages. It is for this reason that Programme Director, I want to congratulate PPC for the bold step it has taken, it is a step in the right direction and I wish many companies could also follow in your footsteps.

This year we commemorated the 31st year of 16 June 1976. The year young people in our country fought for what was rightfully theirs, the right to education and freedom from the apartheid draconic system. The freedom that we gained in 1994 that those young people gave their lives for is becoming meaningless and in vain and we should not underplay the potential danger that youth dissatisfaction and unacceptable levels of high unemployment poses to our economic and social stability.

I am also concerned that in the mist of such high unemployment amongst our young people, education and skills development provider institutions continue to produce graduates who cannot find work after their parents have paid such huge tuition fees. On the other hand some employers have also approached us and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) with various learnerships registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) purporting to be in the scarce and critical skills areas.

We have produced thousands of these young people and yet, some of them are still being told that they do not have sufficient experience to fill some of the vacancies that are emerging. Nobody was born with experience and I believe that these young people can only obtain the necessary experience in the work place and it is time that we open up these work place opportunities in both the public and the private sector for them.

Previously some people claimed that one of the obstacles they were experiencing was lack of or absence of skills guides that clearly outlines areas of shortages so as to align their programmes accordingly. Today with the National Scarce and Critical available and widely accepted, I believe there should be no more excuses in ensuring that our learning programmes are aligned or are relevant to our social development and economic needs. Let us assist these young people to find employment, to enter into self employment and new venture creation initiatives, to work in co-operatives, Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and other National Youth Services Programmes or lastly wet their appetite to enter areas of further learning. I hope PPC will assist all learners that are about to be registered in the Cement Manufacturing Qualification to follow on of the routes that I have outlined and God, permitting, I want to be there when they graduate.

To the PPC management, please do not neglect your existing workers in the new training programme and the academy. We call upon the PPC top management to find synergy between this academy and the Department's Employment Services System. The cornerstone of improving your productivity in the production of cement, reduction of price and improving on your competitiveness lies squarely in the skills of these workers. You don not achieve profits through unsafe working conditions and disgruntled workers. I hope I will not be confronted with this situation when one day I decide to conduct inspection in your industries.

President Thabo Mbeki, in his State of the Nation Address talked about "measures required to improve social cohesion that cannot be undertake alone. We must together as South Africans speak of freedom from want and from moral decay and work to attain the happiness that comes with it." Skills development is central to our efforts to erase that which is ugly and repulsive in our society so that we can speak of freedom and the happiness that comes with liberty.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Labour
9 July 2007