11 MAY 2018

 Boksburg – Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor closed the 3^rd Human Resource Development Council 2018 Summit and hailed it as a success.

 The Summit was held at the Emperors Palace from 10 – 11 May 2018 and was officially opened by Deputy President and Chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council David Mabuza.

 In her address Minister Pandor called for greater effort in supporting TVET and Community colleges to become premier trade and occupational skills development institutions; the building of seamless relationship between the private sector and public institutions and the development of successful skills development models through international partnerships.

The Summit focused on the following key areas, the creation of South Africa’s future workforce, Synergy between skills development theory and practice in the workplace, the consolidation of partnerships between institutions of higher learning and the workplace to assist in skills development and synergy in technological advancement and skills development.

The Summit recommendations sought to respond to the following focus areas and suggested the following:

A need for partnerships between institutions of learning across the globe, incentivizing stakeholders venturing into partnerships especially private sector organizations that are willing to assist in skills development; the development of legal regulations required to motivate the private sector to fully participate in the education and training cycle and the implementation of the multiple pathways in skills development.

The recommendations did not only seek to respond to the Summit focal areas, but they also responded to the objectives as set by the Minister in her address.  The objectives were as follows:  the need to offer practical opportunities for skills development to a very diverse range of young people and adults; supporting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Community colleges to become apex trade and occupational skills development institutions; embracing and creating innovative partnerships to advance the national goals and the critical need to use research to influence decisions through evidence based solutions.

The Human Resource Development Council of South Africa (HRDC), established in 2010, is a national, multi-tiered and multi-stakeholder advisory body chaired by the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, managed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Training and aims to build the human resource development base required to ensure a prosperous and inclusive South African society and economy.

ISSUED BY THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA

Enquiries: Brenda Ntombela: Head of HRDC Secretariat: 012 943 3187 / 082 573 3716

11 MAY 2018