ahead of World Cup 2010
24 October 2006
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Marthinus van
Schalkwyk, together with representatives of tourism industry, Thabiso Tlelae,
Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA); organised labour, Congress of
South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) represented by Sekete Moshoeshoe; and
communities by Ms Zanele Twala, South African National Non-Government
Organisations Coalition (SANGOCO), today signed a declaratory commitment to
skills development in the tourism industry.
"The agreement which arose from the two-day tourism conference held in
Mogale City in Gauteng on 19 and 20 October, will signal a concerted and
accelerated effort by the key role players in preparing the tourism sector for
the skills challenges of the 2010 tourism boom," said Dr Patrick Matlou, Deputy
Director-General for Tourism, during his presentation of a skills assessment
review in the sector.
The literature review report is part of the comprehensive skills audit which
is currently underway, is already showing scarce and critical skills gaps in
technical management, which includes information technology, financial,
marketing, strategic, human resource and facility management, development and
promotion of tourism products and services, and technical occupations such as
gambling, software engineers and actuarial management.
The agreement aims at facilitating co-ordination and alignment of skills
initiatives in tourism, it further commits the industry into making further
inputs in the current comprehensive primary research on skills gaps which will
inform the revision of the sector skills plan and a possible curricula review
at all education and training levels.
During the signing ceremony at the conference the government undertook to
contribute funding, ensure high quality of education and training and creating
a conducive environment, whilst through the mobilisation of partnerships and
the strengthening of the Tourism, Hospitality, Sports, Education and Training
Authority.
The agreement further committed industry to create opportunities for
internships and placement of unemployed graduates and investing in education
and training, in consultation with the labour movement and the youth
sector.
Enquiries:
Mava Scott
Tel: (012) 310 3779
Cell 082 411 9821
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
24 October 2006
