Tonight is your night, the night of the graduate. I am very pleased to be part of this graduation ceremony where we are celebrating your accomplishments. Here you are tonight, beautifully dressed in your caps and gowns ready to make the world your oyster. But your proud parents can be forgiven when they still see a glimpse of the first grader they took to school some years ago. To you it may feel like centuries ago, but to them it seems like yesterday as you will always remain their child whether you are six years old or 60.
Our compass is the values instilled in us by our parents, our schools and universities. Those values help us to grow up as human beings who will contribute to society. While we should focus on excellence in academics, we should never forget that education and learning goes much further than our studies of law, economics, mathematics or finance.
When we speak about education it is about the intellectual, emotional, cultural and social development of a person. It is no good developing a one dimensional person, who is good at crunching numbers but does not know how to be a good neighbour. Good marks are important but our country cannot afford that we live on our own planets, disengaged from the society and communities in which we live, work and play.
Looking around, I am confident that we have a new cohort of lawyers, accountants, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs in the making. It is you who will drive our future economic success (or failure) and you should all be very proud of yourselves. Congratulations on your success. We know it could not always have been easy, not academically and in many instances not financially. But you persevered and tonight is your moment of triumph.
I also thank the lecturers and staff for their dedication to our students. I know that you are there for your students when the going gets tough, when deadlines loom, but also when the going is good.
For those of you who have come to the end of your academic careers your days of lifelong learning have just started. The most successful people are eternal students. It is crucial that we maintain a broad perspective and willingness to expand our knowledge and experience.
By having had access to university education, you will be expected to be leaders in your respective fields. Our province and our country need you, especially now that our economy is beginning to lift its head after the global recession. We are certainly on our way to recovery, albeit a fragile recovery.
More positions and opportunities will become available as our economy strengthens. As you enter the professional world, bear in mind that you did not simply study for self serving ends, but we hope also with the intention of promoting a more just society.
Need for skills development
In its 2009 international business report the consultancy firm Grant Thornton reported that 41 percent of South Africa's privately owned businesses cited the availability of a skilled workforce as the biggest constraint to business growth. South African corporate businesses are not unique in their demand for skilled workers.
It is generally agreed that corporate managers are willing to bid up pay packages to acquire skilled workers as they identify the lack of skilled labour as one of today's greatest problems. Not only do employers want skilled workers, they also want employees with education geared for a modern, global economy, the knowledge economy.
The connection between poverty and a lack of education or skills is self evident. Therefore it makes infinite sense that education and skills development is a key priority in the South African government's war against poverty.
Access to education has improved dramatically (the number of matrics who wrote their school leaver's examination in KwaZulu-Natal increased by approximately by 50 000 per annum since 2004 and the university population almost doubled). However, we need to do a lot more to improve the quality of our education.
Productivity in the workplace
Similarly we need to address productivity in the workplace. South Africa has a very low labour utilisation due to a lack of skills, experience and other factors, especially among our young people. This explains to a large extent the gap of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita between us and the most advanced economies.
Research has indicated that South Africa has relatively strong average labour productivity. However, we do not fare well when compared to the large emerging economies (Brazil, China, India and Indonesia). Together the emerging economies are regarded as an important engine for world growth. But while we work together we are also in competition with each other.
In terms of labour productivity a comparison of the five Brazil, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa (BIICS) countries, in a 2008 economic assessment of South Africa conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) indicated that we have the lowest GDP per person employed. This opens the debate on work ethics. Time management is of paramount importance in this regard.
The manner, in which employees manage time and other resources in the workplace, has a direct bearing on overall output. As individuals, workers contribute to a critical mass of lost man hours daily, weekly, monthly and annually. Productivity improvement is not a job for specialists only; it should be a way of life for everybody, it starts with attitude. When you enter the workplace, ask yourself every few hours: "is this the best use of my time today?" Always think of better ways to do thing, work smarter and harder.
* Productivity includes commitment, seeing a matter through and remaining dedicated to that task even when faced with challenges
* Being accountable for your actions will ensure that you are more productive by doing everything right the first time
* Avoiding wastage and using your resources more effectively, including your time, will not escape the eyes of the people that matter
* See yourself as one of the most important productive assets the world has.
Whatever you do, you play an important part in making our country more competitive. By being more productive and finding better ways of doing things we are contributing to the economy and helping to improve the lives of all South Africans.
Integrity and transparency
To me work ethics and integrity go hand in hand. Integrity is what creates peoples' trust in you. You cannot compromise on your standards. Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. As someone has said, "You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg".
The world is demanding greater transparency, both in government and the private sector. In the competitive global world governments must, now more than ever before, ensure that their own houses are in order to drive efficient and effective governance and to reduce wasteful spending while protecting core public services. These sentiments are echoed in the King III report; stakeholders now also demand to know HOW you conduct your business.
Government has taken a firm stance against fraud and corruption. There will be many opportunities and temptations to "earn" something extra and to cut a corner. Don't do it! Your integrity is priceless. You have worked hard to get where you are, do not jeopardise your future by ever compromising when it comes to doing the right thing. It is simply not worth it.
Opportunities
Use the opportunities that government and the private sector offer government is also in the queue for "scarce skills". At the KwaZulu-Natal Treasury we have the Accelerated Development programme aimed at unemployed graduates who obtained qualifications in the required scarce skills categories but who lack relevant experience. The programme allows individuals to be appointed in training positions to bridge the experience gap.
A total of 25 employees within the Internal Audit unit have benefited since the inception of the programme in 2007. In addition there are internship programmes in all government departments and in the private sector, which are designed to give you work experience. The envisaged wage subsidy system that will subsidise employers who employ inexperienced young people will also increase the potential pool of employed people substantially.
Government has several initiatives to assist small enterprises. Our country needs entrepreneurs. But it is important to realise that opportunity will not find you, you must find opportunity. If you sit back and lament instead of being pro-active you are doomed to a career of waiting for something "good" to happen to you. Be a "go-getter", go out and look for opportunities, or even better, create opportunities for yourself and others. Be an entrepreneur.
It is up to you to MAKE IT HAPPEN. It reminds me of a story about a large shoe company that sent two sales representatives out to different parts of the Australian outback to generate business. The company received telegrams from both agents. One said: "No business here. People don't even wear shoes!" The second said: "Great opportunity here, the people don't even wear shoes!"
Your future is in your own hands. In the words of Jean Nidetsch, "it is choice, not chance that determines your destiny".
I thank you.
Issued by: Provincial Treasury, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
16 April 2010
