Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube: Worldskills South Africa Conference

Programme Director, Dr F. Yende – CEO FP&M SETA & ASCEO Chairperson 
Portfolio Committee Members on Higher Education: Chairperson and Members: Hon. T Letsie, Hon. T. Louw, Hon. M Msezane, Hon S. Ngubane, Hon K. Khaukhau & Hon Zondo
DHET led by the Director General, Dr. N Sishi
Deputy Directors-General, Mr S. Zungu and Acting Deputy Director-General, Mr D. Mabusela
Acting CEO of NSF, Ms M. Erra 
CEOs of SETA
CEO QCTO, Mr V. Naidoo
President SAPCO, Mr D Kekana

Delegates from across African Continent (Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon, eSwatini, Gambia, Sierra Leon and Ghana) and African Union Development Agency -NEPAD

Panel Members: 

CEO - Business Unity South Africa: Mr Khulekani Mathe

Senior Policy Analyst – Minerals Council: Mr Ogodiseng Senye

Chief of Staff: Office of the Statistician General - Stats SA: Mr Dumisani Jele

Technical Delegate - WorldSkills Brazil: Mr J Matteuci

Acting Director: Artisan Development (INDLELA) – Mr S Moloko

Acting Chief Director: National Artisan Development (INDLELA): Mr J Bopape

Principal – Northlink TVET College: Mr Brian Phike

Official delegate Skills Austria: Mr Stefan Praschi

Technical Delegate (Brazil), Mr Jeferson Mateucci 

Director of Urban Econ (NIKELA): Ms Trudy Smit
World Skills International president , Mr Francis Hourant
WorldSkills Africa Members
Industry and Organised Business Representatives
Organised Labour Representatives
SAVETSA President
WSZA National Experts & Competition Officials, WSZA Competitors, Alumni, Sponsors
WSZA Organising Team
DHET Officials
All distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Greetings to you all.

It is truly an honour for me to speak to you all today as delegates of this Conference themed ‘Building a Skilled and Competitive Workforce for the Future’. This is a very important gathering, especially at a crucial time for our country’s development that calls for an active role of artisans. It is encouraging to see apprenticeships and artisan development recognised as key focus areas within our skills development ecosystem. I believe it is vital that Skills Development Providers (SDPs), policy makers, labour organisations, community-based groups, and employers engage in open and honest discussions about what works and what needs to be improved in the apprenticeship and artisan development system.

As the Department of Higher Education and Training, we continue to emphasise that artisan development is part of a wider ecosystem linked to industrial strategy, the green economy, and the 4IR revolution.

We are reminded of the urgency of this task by the persistent skills gap in our country. It is disheartening that the number of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training is still high in our country. And this skills gap is not confined to the youth. Many adults are looking for new skills to advance in their current job or transition to a new career pathway.

We have already made many interventions, particularly through the SETAs, TVET colleges and Community Education and Training Colleges (CETs) to ensure there are dedicated programs to address this. I am certainly assured that today’s deliberations will sharpen our interventions in ensuring that we continue expanding opportunities for the NEETS to benefit from artisan development interventions.

I must also recognise the contributions of WorldSkills South Africa, using WorldSkills Competitions as a progressive platform for elevating standards, inspiring excellence, and modernising the TVET sector in ways that are on par with international practices.

The establishment of WSZA Academy in particular stands as a model for what vocational skills development can look like when ambition meets execution. It is transforming how we think about trades, competitions, and the pursuit of world-class standards in artisan development.

Equally important is the role WorldSkills South Africa plays in deepening employer participation in the apprenticeship system. We have seen more industry partners and State-Owned Entities playing an important role in WSZA activities. South Africa needs more employers to participate in the apprenticeship development system.

So, as we begin our deliberations, let us keep this collaborative spirit at the forefront. The future of our workforce, and indeed our country's competitiveness, depends on the strength of the partnerships we build and the ideas we generate here today.

I wish you all productive sessions.

Thank you.