Deputy Minister Gina speech to the graduation ceremony of Next Generation of Engineers
Vice President: Chief Culture and Inclusion Officer, Mr. Reginald Miller.
Global Culture and Inclusion Champion, Matsiliso Eseu.
Chairman of Board for PROTEC, Antony Hlungwane.
The CEO of PROTEC, Mr Balan Moodley.
The Dean of Schools of Engineering and Built Environment, Prof. Thokozani Majozi.
DDG of DSTI, Dr Mmboneni Moufhe.
DDG of DSTI, Curriculum Delivery Management, Alison Bengston.
Ladies and gentlemen.
I want to express my appreciation to Protec leadership for extending the invitation to us in the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. I am excited to have learnt of the good work you have been doing on schools, focusing your interventions on improving STEM in our schools. This, is a national duty that speaks to our mandate as DSTI.
Africa stands at the dawn of an extraordinary opportunity in history. We are home to the World’s youngest population, a demographic gift that if harnessed can drive Africa’s economic and social transformation and usher us into being impactful global players.
This continent’s youthfulness remains our greatest asset. However, for this asset to yield true dividends, it must be powered by knowledge, and to be precise, it must be anchored on Science, Technology and Engineering and Mathematics knowledge and skills.
Over the years, nations have risen and fallen on the back of scientific discovery, technology development and continuous innovation. Today, even as the world-order is stress-tested through fragile and unpredictable geopolitical realignments, technology remains the tool either to broaden or bridge the divide.
Ladies and gentlemen, those who invest in science, technology and innovation not only consume the fruits of innovation, but they become architects of it and as a result, benefit unfairly compared to those who are only consumers. At this point in time, our challenge is very clear, we need to transform the raw potential of our young people into productive capacity that builds industries, drives research and creates solutions for local and global problems. All the ingredients are in place, our youth, mineral resources, our biodiversity and rich indigenous knowledge heritage.
This is why today is such an important day to celebrate. We are witnessing the graduation of the next generation of engineers. There is no doubt that the first step in nurturing the youth dividend is investment in skills, which is the planting of our own timber.
Our National Development Plan, and our Medium Terms Development Plan direct us to build South Africa into a capable state. There is no capable state without a skilled a capable workforce, and the graduates we are celebrating here today form the building blocks of the state we want to see emerging to shape the future. The country desperately needs a pipeline of STEM-related professionals on a scale to support this weak economy. It is for this reason that as government, and in particular the DSTI, we have bursaries and scholarship Programmes aimed at supporting various forms of student training.
I am quite excited that among many of the students support instruments, we have just launched the Presidential PhD Programme that aims to expose our students to the best institutions globally.
We have also launched programmes to support entrepreneurship such as the Higher Education Innovation fund, focusing on universities and TVET colleges. This programme, currently being implemented in partnership with the UNDP, will support student innovators, and train researchers to nurture innovative students, business mentors and facilitate access to infrastructure such as technology stations.
Ladies and gentlemen, in every era of human progress, the private sector has stood at the centre of innovation, productivity and growth. Unfortunately, here in South Africa, over a decade now we have seen private sector taking a back seat in investing in Science, Technology and Innovation R&Ds. This has affected our National System of Innovation growth. The reality is that when companies invest in skills, they are not just training workers of the future, they are shaping the very ecosystem in which they thrive.
It strengthens their own competitiveness, fosters innovation, improves productivity and secure the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. It is for this reason that we must celebrate the partnership between Protec with companies such as GE Foundation, Kutiva Foundation and many more.
In this 7th Administration, we have elevated industry partnership as key to our success. As Deputy Minister of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, I have been assigned to lead in forging relationships with private sector, that’s why today is so important to me. We are convinced that together, we can create a mutually beneficial ecosystem that supports our country’s industrialization goals.
We need to establish strong relationships based on trust that will enable the flow of knowledge from industry to academia, for more innovation technology improvement.
Thinking about tomorrow today
Across the world, we are witnessing rapid technological change which is shifting the nature of work – anchored on digitization, automation, alternative and environmentally-friendly energy sources, AI and circular economy. These technological advancements are redefining every industry.
It is true that as a country and as a continent, we are lagging behind on these technologies, but we always remind ourselves of a Chinese proverb that “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now”. We acknowledge the past, embrace the present, and work to create the future we want and that future is in the hands of this youth.
As I end, I think it is important that I share with you the kind of South Africa and Africa that we dream of – it is one that is technologically advanced and globally competitive. An Africa that does not only use technology for progress, service delivery and improved quality of life, but one that is at the forefront of pushing the technological barriers by leading in developing technologies and innovating. This is a future that will be built by you, our youth, using your minds.
Once again, I applaud Protec for the role you are playing in promoting STEM education, helping to create a cohort of youth who represent the core of our future workforce.
You have chosen to be the bridge between opportunity and potential for many young people in our country. You reach where for a variety of reasons government Programmes may not always reach – you continue to reach our rural communities, under-resourced schools, and marginalized groups. Your programmes continue to ignite curiosity, nurture the raw talent and open doors for young people who would otherwise be left behind. Your mentorships, youth clubs, bootcamps, and you taking your scientific experiments and floating laboratories to those who have never seen a science laboratory in their lives is a transformative experience. You have made a young girl in a village to believe she can be an engineer, and a boy from the township that coding is not those in affluent urban centres, that careers in engineering are also meant for them.
Let us therefore commit collectively to build the science, technology and engineering foundation that will carry our continent into the future, the future that we will have co-created. As government, I want to say we are here as your ally, we don’t see you as gap fillers but catalysts for transformation.
To our future engineers
You need to know that the fourth industrial revolution has blurred the lines between physical, digital and biological worlds. You must be prepared for the new world of work where technological skills are the new currency.
The whole concept of traditional job seeking is being challenged by the gig economy. The concept of ownership was replaced by access through the sharing economy. The most successful young people are not those simply looking for jobs or chasing employability, but those who are creating jobs.
I want to see all 43 of you registering for STEM degrees and accounting courses and ultimately as beneficiaries of our postgraduate bursaries and scholarships, especially our prestigious Presidential PhD Programme.
Thank you.
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