Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar addresses the Transport Education and Training Authority Breakfast Session
July 11, 2001
The Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar, this morning called upon the transport industry and the whole country to work with the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) to build a multi- skilled nation. Omar was addressing TETA breakfast session at Kyalami-Midrand which was attended by executives from the transport industry, government, the general private sector and non-governmental organisations.
The Minister said the private sector, non-governmental organisations and other relevant institutions need to take responsibility and lead the skills revolution “ The role of government is to provide a frame work and monitor the implementation of that framework. Employers and employees in both public and private sector are best placed to make judgments about priorities on skills development in the work place”, Omar said.
He added that delivery of skills development programmes and initiatives must be characterised by cost efficiency and also lead to positive outcomes for all those who invest in training and skills development.
The Minister said workplaces and communities are changing continuously and demand a higher level of skills and competences from people. He called upon companies within the transport sector to share these changes and take advantage of them in order to improve competitiveness and the quality of services in the sector. “We need to upgrade and improve the skills of our people in the sector continuously,” Omar pleaded.
He added that there is a need for proper learnership combined with practical work and experience to develop and consolidate skills. “If I am trained to perform cash reconciliation, I also need to know how to compile a balance sheet and the basics of accounting. If I am trained to rewire a plug, I also need to know about electricity and the consequences of attaching the wrong wires to wrong sockets, he explained.
The Transport Education and Training Authority was established as the foot soldier and delivery machine of the South African Qualification Act, TETA is one of the 25 sector education and training authorities, which oversees and provide strategic leadership for human resources development in the transport sector.
ISSUED BY
Mike Mabasa
HEAD: Media Liaison and Corporate Communication
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT