Construction Management Professions must replenish with youth-Nhleko
Public Works Minister, Nathi Nhleko has urged the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) to continuously and urgently replenish the human resources in the built environment with youthful, enthusiastic as well as determined young people.
Minister Nhleko made the call on the first day of the two-day 6th Construction Management Summit that ended on Tuesday in Durban.
“If some of our professionals were not clouded by social prejudices least challenges of integration and mentorship would be experienced particularly within the construction management profession,” Nhleko maintained in his address.
Nhleko said that government is concerned about the extent to which the decline of the skills base within the built professions is slowing down sustainable development
Nhleko stressed that South Africa requires a strong integrated construction management profession to deliver on the development and maintenance of national infrastructure.
He said that it is critical that professionals in the built industry share knowledge and skills for growth and development of the profession.
“If we are to realise radical economic transformation that will see the economy begin to pick up, there will be increasing demands for professional services,” he underscored.
Nhleko said that the pool of skills represented by built environment professions should accordingly increase to bring the historically marginalised into the mainstream of the economy.
He said that his department needs the support of the private sector even as it accelerates its own efforts of growing its own timber.
Enquiries: Lesiba Kgwele
Cell: 082 803 5133
E-mail: Lesiba.Kgwele@dpw.gov.za
