Pursuant to the Ministerial Roundtable jointly hosted by the Minister and Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services on 11 October; this correspondence serves to invite you to the “Coordinate. Collaborate. Execute Industry 4.0” High Level Multi-Stakeholder Engagement Forum to be held on 23 October 2018.
The engagement forum, which will be led by Deputy Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, aims to:
- Harmonise 4IR training programmes, coding, SMME development, schools connectivity and community digitisation initiatives; to address opportunities and challenges outlined by government and business.
- Establish training partnerships on Industry 4.0 programmes.
- Ensure that facilities with broadband and computer access have access to content that can be utilised to prepare citizens for skills of the future.
The afore-mentioned is in line with the Deputy Minister's 2018 Budget Vote Commitments wherein she mentioned that to adequately prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), a key priority is to build a capable army that is equipped with the requisite skills and opportunities. In building this 4IR Army, DM committed that, "…we will embark on an extensive skills development programme aimed at training one million young people by 2030 on the following data science skills: Robotics; Artificial Intelligence; Coding; Cloud computing; and Networking."
Further, "… working with our partners, we endeavour to implement programmes targeting women, children, people with disabilities and SMMEs. Lastly, in collaboration with SOCs and the private sector, CSI initiatives focused on universal access for rural and underserved areas will be consolidated in a coordinated manner."
In fulfilment of the above, the Deputy Minister has been engaging with various stakeholders on a programmatic approach towards building the 4IR army. These engagements have revealed that there are various initiatives being implemented, in an uncoordinated manner, by stakeholders in government, public entities and the private sector.
The High Level Multi-Stakeholder Engagement Forum will therefore serve as a first step towards coordinating and harmonising current and future skills development and capacity building programmes.
The afore-mentioned engagement forum will take place as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 23 October 2018
Time: 09:00 – 15:30
Venue: Standard Bank Playroom, Rosebank, Johannesburg
Enquiries:
Nthabeleng Mokitimi-Dlamini
Cell: 073 222 5522
Tel: 012 427 8153
E-mail: ndlamini@dtps.gov.za
