The number of unemployed young South Africans has worryingly significant implications for the future of this country.
Speaking at the Skills Development Summit, hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, in Pretoria last week, mining giant BHP Billiton director and VP for commun- ications and external affairs Johnny Dladla said that, by pulling together, the country would be able to find solutions in key areas of the economy and overcome a number of significant obstacles it was facing.
“In the second quarter of this year, Statistics South Africa revealed that 25.7% of South Africans were unem- ployed. This is a quarter of the country’s population,” he noted. He added that with half the popula- tion aged between 15 and 24, this number would rise significantly.
Local Communities Dladla stated that BHP Billiton, which had about 100 000 employees worldwide, was committed to local communities and turning those communities into truly sustainable environments.
“Over the past five years, we have transformed this commitment into reality across all our operations. “We have invested over R300-million across a broad range of sustainable development projects to make a long- term difference in the areas of health, social and youth development, [as well as] education, environment, safety and enterprise development, in order for us to leave a lasting legacy in the commu- nities where we operate,” he added.
Dladla said the company considered its key priority to be “resourcing the future”. “But what future can we possibly have if almost a quarter of our popu- lation is unemployed or unemployable?” he asked.
He cited the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), which was launched by Deputy President Kgalema Motlante, in March last year, as a possible solution. “BHP Billiton welcomed this initiative and we are currently participating in the strategy sessions that seek to explore innovative ways of tackling the skills development challenges.”
The role of the council is to promote the participation of all role-players in the planning, stewardship and moni- toring, and evaluation of human resource development activities in the country.
“The HRDC has identified a number of challenges and, along with the New Growth Path (NGP), plays a central role in long-term employment creation. “The NGP places employment and equity at the centre of economic policy and focuses on key job drivers, such as the [identification] of those areas of the economy in which employment creation is possible on a mass scale. The value chain of the mining industry is but one of those sectors,” he noted.
Further, he stated that the NGP’s job creation target was ambitious but by no means impossible. “However, it cannot be driven by the State alone. It requires partnerships between the public and private sectors. It requires the consent and support from both business and labour.”
Dladla pointed out that training needed to be at the centre of the NGP’s strategy for this to occur. “Some of the challenges the NGP faces are the prevailing inequalities in education, the weak maths and science scores that have been linked to a lack of educators in those subjects, and weak information and communication technology training across the board.
“Given these challenges, BHP Billiton is actively supporting early childhood development programmes, math and science for grade 11 and grade 12 learners and encouraging ongoing science and technology research through our support of the National Science and Technology Forum. “We need to get involved in the education of South Africans at an early stage and improve the level of education our young people receive up to the higher levels of education that should equip them with the skills necessary to be valuable members of the workforce. We need to develop educators that can adapt to the changing needs of the economy,” he said.
Critical Questions There are a number of critical questions that should be posed to the educators of our country, he noted. Are there enough institutions of higher education for the South African populace? Are the institutions we have well capacitated and appropriately resourced? Are the skills critical to the future of South Africa’s economy being developed? Are the degrees and diplomas provided by these institutions of higher education market related? Is education providing the youth with the necessary skills that make them employable?
“These are questions for which there are no easy answers. However, we need to find the solutions, and quickly, if we are to continue to play our part as an important emerging economy on the world stage. “Business needs to assist educators, so that they know what specific skills are necessary. Ongoing dialogues, research and development as well as the HRDC are critical in promoting the participation of key role-players.
“We believe that, in resourcing the future, we require sustainable relationships, strong collaborations and authentic partnerships. While we may inherit the past, we create our future,” he concluded.
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