Opening Remarks by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 17th Human Resources Development Council Meeting, Pick n Pay Training Centre, Johannesburg
I want to welcome you all very warmly and thank you for making this a full house on the eve of a long weekend.
This weekend, we will be celebrating Women’s Day.
It is a moment to reflect on the struggles and achievements, past and present, of South African women.
It is a time when we acknowledge the role of women in our development as a nation.
It is a day on which we recommit ourselves to striving for a South Africa in which all women will enjoy the equal rights, access and opportunity outlined in our Constitution.
As the Human Resource Development Council, we have a special duty to ensure that our vision and activities enable women and girl children in our society to fulfill their human potential.
We know that the education of the girl child is one of the most effective mechanisms to reduce poverty and to advance equality.
Therefore, as we undertake our work, we need to pay particular attention to the representation and progress of girls and women at every stage and in every component of our education and training system.
Colleagues,
I wish to extend a special thanks to the management of Pick n Pay, who have opened their doors and operations to the Council today.
I believe Council members should be heartened by what we have seen on our walkabout.
We commend companies such as Pick n Pay which are investing in developing the skills and capabilities of South Africa’s people.
We commend companies that believe that growth must be seen in people before it’s seen in sales volumes, share prices or other measurements of success.
Appreciating people for who they are and what they can contribute in a supportive and progressive work environment is what moves our economy and society forward.
We have taken a deliberate decision to hold our meetings at sites of training and skills development because it grounds the Council in the reality of developing human capital in our country.
It shows us what it takes and what is possible in unleashing the creative and productive energies of all South Africans.
These visits demonstrate the progress we are making in various sectors or companies.
And they inspire us to commit ourselves anew to the work that lies ahead.
This Council exists to satisfy the emphasis the National Development Plan places on human development through education, and its critical importance to the development of our society and economy.
The aspirations outlined in the National Development Plan have been translated to the Human Resource Development Strategy, with commitments and targets that anchor the work of the Council.
This is a complex task.
At face value, this task is similar to the work of the Pick n Pay confectioners who are being trained at this facility.
We all have a recipe before us, in the form of the National Development Plan.
But the ingredients are sitting in different places.
They are in government, in the private sector and in our communities.
We need to bring together all the elements of early childhood development, basic and secondary education, vocational training, higher education and adult basic education and training together in the right proportions.
All these elements come together in our classrooms and lecture rooms. They also come in the form of workplace enviornment
They are present in the homes and communities from which learners, students and other candidates come.
Following the HRDC Lekgotla of April 2015, we are here today to assess what our focus should be between now and 2020.
Today we will get structured feedback from partners who have analysed the 2010 Human Resource Development (HRD) Strategy’s strategic intent and the Council’s operations in implementing the HRD Strategy.
This feedback should guide us in continuing with the adoption of key strategic programmes that will make a difference to the development of skills in our country. We have been charged with the responsibility of activating and implementing the human resource development strategy of the country
And this feedback should advise us on how the Council can improve its internal operations and public impact.
I believe we have all the right stakeholders on board in this national partnership.
However, it is necessary for us to strengthen existing partnerships, sharpen our focus and clearly articulate our objectives.
This will enable us to enrich the progress we have already achieved.
And this will set us up for faster and more effective transformation of skills in our economy.
Colleagues, we will have analysis and options presented to us today.
It is necessary that we listen carefully and apply our minds to what we see as our future.
As we do so, I want us to produce a workable set of outcomes.
These decisions must drive us forward in our strategy.
First, we will have a presentation on the Production of Academics and Strengthening Higher Education Partnerships with the Industry Technical Task Team presentation.
And then Mzabalazo Advisory Services will give us feedback of their analysis from the deliberations of the Council’s Lekgotla which was held 11 April 2015, with proposals on the new priorities we should be focusing on from 2015 to 2020.
I believe we must place ourselves under some pressure so that we can secure the greatest possible impact with our work in the foreseeable future.
I believe we are all capable of making this happen today and I look forward to our deliberations. Here sits in the braintrust and on whose shoulders have to make sure the skills base of our country
Let’s begin our work.
I thank you.
