C Martin to sign memorandum of understanding with Construction Education
and Training Authority (CETA), 12 Feb

11 February 2009

All members of the media are invited to join Eastern Cape Public Works MEC
Christian Martin when he will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA). At the core of the MoU’s
agenda will be issues relating to Public Works and CETA’s co-operation in
extending construction skills development opportunities to both employed and
unemployed people within the Eastern Cape.

The MoU’s objectives speak to the aims of the Skills Development Act of
1998. The Act aspires to develop the skills of the South African workforce and
to improve the quality of life of workers and their prospects of work, to
improve productivity in the workplace and the competitiveness of employers and
to promote self-employment.

Already 170 learners are being signed up for Outcome Base Education Training
(ABET) training and shortly dozens of others for scarce building skills will
also be signed up and CETA will work closely with Public Works in terms of the
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and Accelerated Professional and Trade
Competency Development Programme (APTCoD) programmes.

MEC Martin said the Department of Public Work’s commitment to skills
development is reflected in APTCoD, “which is specifically designed to address
the challenge of skills shortage and to empower the youth of the province
within the built environment”. APTCoD focus on unemployed technical graduates
as well as trainee artisans from various institutions of higher learning
including further education training (FET) colleges that the Department signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CETA.

CETA Eastern Cape Regional Manager Lance Ledingham commented by saying: “The
signing of this MoU is part of a broader strategy by CETA and the Department of
Public Works to achieve the National Skills Development Strategy targets to
ensure sufficient skills for the construction sector not only within the
Eastern Cape but South Africa as a whole. Further MoU’s are planned for other
government departments in the Eastern Cape in the future.”

Date: Thursday, 12 February 2009
Time: 12h00
Venue: Public Works Regional Office, corner of Albany and Westbourne Roads,
Port Elizabeth

Issued by: Department of Public Works, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
11 February 2009
Source: Department of Public Works, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
(http://dpw.ecprov.gov.za/)