The Minister said this ahead of Youth Day celebrations tomorrow (16 June).
"The youth must remember that they make a significant contribution to our country's socio-economic development and exercising caution in their daily lives should be a priority.
"The cost of road crashes in South Africa amounts to more than R46bn per annum. The youth should play a pivotal role in our road safety education programmes and be exemplary, particularly, with regards to speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and skipping red robots.
"The Department of Transport seeks to involve and empower the youth to address socio-economic imperatives of transport by responding to labour market challenges as well as develop and implement appropriate delivery mechanisms to alleviate unemployment
and poverty.
"The Department has to address service delivery backlogs and tackle inadequate scarce and critical skills needed to support the sectoral mandate for 2010 and beyond. The youth must be fully engaged in these initiatives.
"Areas that require youth training and investment include rail artisans, civil engineering, traffic officers, piloting, air traffic controlling and aeronautical engineering.
"To this end, the Department of Transport and some of its entities are currently engaged in training including the following:
150 rail artisans with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)
34 civil engineering students.
40 air traffic controllers per year
420 pilots through the SA Civil Aviation Authority
10 medical doctors
5 64 traffic officers
20 students in road construction
8 ship surveyors with the South African Maritime Safety Agency (SAMSA)
15 cvil engineers with the South African National Roads Agencyimited (SANRAL).
"We therefore urge the youth to take up opportunities in the transport sector, both in terms of business and careers," said the Minister.
Media cntact:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 644 4050
Issued by: Ministry of Transport
15 June 2009
Source: SAPA
