Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel has urged the student leadership in universities and other institutions of higher to embrace government’s New Growth Path that is aimed at building a transformed, industrialised and jobs rich economy.
Minister Patel addressed over 200 student leaders from across the country who attended a Student Leadership Summit held at the University of Johannesburg in Gauteng today – 10 July 2013. Welcoming the initiative of the Department of Higher Education and Training that organised the first ever summit of student leaders, Minister Patel urged them to be activists for economic transformation.
He said the success of government’s efforts to transform the economy and change society is largely dependent on among others the ability of higher educational institutions to produce graduates with critical skills required to boost industrialisation and manufacturing in South Africa.
Minister Patel said although South Africa had created over 640 000 jobs since the adoption of the News Growth Path in 2010, a lot more needed to be done to increase the rate of job creation and for the economy to absorb thousands of young people that leave schools and universities looking for jobs each year.
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