Minister opens modern trade testing centre in Roodepoort
It is expected that the trade test centre will certify an increased number of women artisans.
With August observed as TVET Month and the focus being on the increased production of women artisans, Minister Dr Blade Nzimande opened the state-of-the-art Trade Testing Centre at the South West TVET College at the Roodepoort West Campus on August 25.
The opening was part of the department’s response to the community of the West Rand, the City of Johannesburg and Soweto who requested the department to build and upgrade the post-school education and training (PSET) infrastructure in response to the skills needs of the communities in the area.
It is expected that the trade test centre will certify an increased number of women artisans.
Dr Nzimande said the government is committed to broadening the participation and mainstreaming of gender, youth, and people with disabilities in education, training, science and innovation.
“At present the country is producing an average of 20 000 qualified artisans per year. We therefore need to ensure that the numbers increase drastically leading up to 2030 for the country to realise the National Development Plan 2030 (NDP) target. We however do believe that we are well on our way to attaining this goal and even surpassing it. Centres like we are opening today are very much part of this agenda and will help us greatly in producing more artisans.”
The NDP proposes that the country should be producing 30 000 qualified artisans per annum by the year 2030.
According to Yanga Jiya who is a female student apprentice, it is high time the qualifying women fill the spaces as artisans, and she further encouraged her fellow apprentices not to give up.
She also called on the stakeholders to continue supporting the production of artisans in the country.
Addressing the delegates, Student Representative Council president Samkelo Mokoena said 45% of students enrolled at the college are in the engineering and mechatronics fields, and applauded them to continue with their studies to better their lives.
He further encouraged all men to protect the women of the country – not forgetting the boy child who also needs to be groomed to become better men in society.
