President Jacob Zuma will on Wednesday, 4 April 2012 meet principals of all 50 Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges to deliberate on the central role FETs occupy within the country's skills development strategy and in particular government’s new infrastructure development priority programme. The principals will be accompanied by the chairpersons of college councils and deputy principals.
The meeting will seek to address the level of skills development currently and discuss how the country can produce the scarce skills that are necessary to make the comprehensive national infrastructure development programme a success.
This meeting with the principals who run the 264 campuses will be an opportunity for a direct interaction with the President, to enable a holistic understanding of the role of these important institutions, the achievements they have made, their pivotal role in human resource development in the country, challenges and the way forward.
The turnaround of FET Colleges to occupy a more strategic role in the country's development is dealt with extensively in the DHET’s Green Paper for Post-School Education and Training. The National Plan Vision 2030 further recommends that the colleges should be strengthened to deliver on the required programmes, increase throughput rate and expand their infrastructure to produce at least 30 000 artisans a year.
Some of the crucial skills produced by FETs include the following: civil engineering and building construction, electrical engineering, electrical infrastructure and construction, mining engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgical and materials engineering, geologica engineering, aerospace engineering, engineering fabrication, information technology and computer science, finance, economics and accounting, wall and floor tilers, electronics, welding and tool designers, automotive repair and maintenance, fitting and turning, manufacturing and industrial design, fitting as well as machining.
The President will be accompanied by the following Ministers: Higher Education, Economic Development, Basic Education, Science and Technology, Public Enterprises, Public Works and Rural Development, as well as all nine provincial Education MECs.
Media wishing to attend please RSVP to Ms Bongo Sonqishe on 072 526 4843 / bongo@po.gov.za
Details of the event are as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Venue: Saint George's Hotel, Pretoria
Time: 09h00
Enquiries:
Mac Maharaj
Cell: 079 879 3203
