The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande and all Ministers present;
FET Colleges Council chairpersons, Principals and Deputies,
Senior Officials,
The media,
Good morning,

We appreciate this opportunity to host this crucial skills development summit with the heads of our Further Education and Training Colleges.

The country has a network of 264 campuses in 50 FET colleges nationwide, including rural towns. We are pleased that council chairperson, principals and deputy principals have joined us for this summit.

We are also joined by Ministers who are members of the management committee of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission.

By holding this summit with FET colleges, at the highest level in the country, we are sending out a strong message, that while universities and universities of technology are important, FET colleges are equally important.

Universities are important in any economy. But the example of successful industrial economies such as Germany, point to the importance of vocationally-based training, rooted in an apprenticeship model.

Such a vocational focus enables the building of a strong manufacturing base and productive economy. 

We must therefore change the mindsets in our society and enable FET Colleges to become institutions of choice for many young people, so that we can obtain much needed technical skills.

It is at our FET colleges that young people can learn scarce skills such as engineering, Information Technology and Computer Science, Finance, Economics and Accounting, construction, Electronics, Welding and Tool Designers, Automotive Repair and Maintenance, Fitting and Turning, Manufacturing and Industrial Design, Fitting, machining and a host of other technical skills.

Compatriots,

FET colleges are of immense importance as well given the decision we have taken to move beyond the first phase of our transition, the attainment of political freedom, to build a more prosperous South Africa.

To achieve prosperity for all, we need to tackle head on, the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. Education and skills development are the most powerful tools we can use to achieve this goal.

We already have good plans in place for meaningful economic development and job creation.

We launched the New Growth Path framework in 2010.

The framework sets the creation of decent work opportunities as the central economic goal of government.

We have identified the sectors where jobs can be created on a large scale.

These are:

o Infrastructure development.
o Mining and beneficiation.
o Agriculture and the processing of farm products.
o Manufacturing.
o The green economy.
o Tourism and high level services; and
o The knowledge-based sectors of the economy.

This year we decided to single out infrastructure for enhanced emphasis.

You will recall that in the State of the Nation Address in February this year, I announced a large and bold infrastructure plan for the South African economy.

The infrastructure includes the expansion of ports and rail-lines; modernising the road networks; the building of dams and irrigation systems, power stations as well as renewable energy plants; laying of transmission lines and broadband inside the country; and expanding the building of schools, hospitals and universities.

Seventeen large integrated projects have been finalised and the implementation will now commence. 

The relevance of FET Colleges in the infrastructure development project cannot be over-stated.

The construction, maintenance and operation of infrastructure as well as the operation of assets require the kind of skills that FET Colleges are well-equipped to provide.

But for FETs to succeed, they should be more effective and better-performing.

Graduation rates will need to rise.

The exposure of lecturers to the realities of workplaces and the new technologies and work processes, will need to be enhanced.

And curricula will need to be constantly updated to reflect changes in the world of work.

Most importantly, the colleges must be able to absorb as many young people as possible. 

We want school leavers, including disheartened ones, some of whom stand in street corners daily with no hope for the future, to be able to come back to the education and training system, and benefit from vocational training.

A lot is being done already by government to expand access to higher education by expanding options for students.

Firstly, the introduction of the National Certificate Vocational system in 2011 marked a significant milestone in developing alternative avenues for skills development.

It resulted in the creation of additional opportunities for one hundred and sixty four, seven hundred and thirteen additional learners at FET colleges.

The intervention was accompanied by various activities to improve the quality of service provided by FET colleges, including a review of curricula, distribution of learner and teaching support materials and the training of lecturers.

Secondly, as you are aware, the Department of Higher Education and Training has also released a Green Paper on Post-School Education.

Amongst other provisions, the paper sets a target to raise enrolments in FET colleges and other post-school institutions, to four million students by 2030.

This is in addition to the 1, 5 million we expect to have in universities.

These are ambitious targets, but they are targets that we have to meet, working together.

To achieve the targets will require a big effort from the college sector and a particularly big effort from you as college leaders. You will need to be flexible and open the doors mainly for the children of the poor who normally do not find opportunities easily.

This is critical for our democracy and our economy.  We would like to hear your views on these matters and how this can be done.

Thirdly on expanding access, in the past two years, bursaries for financially needy FET students have been increased, from R318 million to R3 billion, assisting one hundred and sixty five thousand and two hundred and seventy three (165,273) students in 2011. 

Compatriots,

The challenge goes beyond access to what the students must do after graduating.

It is unfortunate that the formal and systematic apprenticeship system in the country was done away with by companies; especially state owned enterprises.

Students and apprentices need workplace opportunities in order to master their trades and professions.

We are happy that our social partners, labour, business and the community sector are working with us to help students obtain the necessary experience and work opportunities.

Last year, we concluded two Social Accords: one on skills development and another on rebuilding our basic education system.  

Commitment 2 and Commitment 8 of the National Skills Accord relates directly to FET Colleges.  

In the accord, companies commit to make twelve thousand placements or internship spaces available for FET College students annually. They also commit to provide opportunities for training in a work environment to 16 000  lecturers, annually. 

We are encouraged by progress made already with regards to learnerships or internships, if one looks at last year’s figures.

A total of 30 117 unemployed youth entered into learnerships against a target of 17 531 for 2011.  Similarly, the target for workers entering learnerships was exceeded, with 19 192 workers entering learnerships against the target of 13 243. 

A total of 11 335 learners entered the artisan training system as indentured artisans, with 8 102 passing their trade tests and obtaining their trade certificates, against a target of 10 000 for 2011. The trade test pass rate increased from 41% in 2010 to 57% in 2011.

We are clearly on the right track. We congratulate all FET colleges for these achievements.

We encourage FET colleges to partner with Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), as these have the potential to be a strong source of support.

The SETAs can channel resources for skills development to the colleges and also play a pivotal role in helping the colleges to build partnerships with employers in both the private and public sectors.

It is our aim therefore as government, to facilitate a closer working relationship between FET Colleges and SETAs. This relationship will greatly assist new graduates.

Compatriots,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to make an important announcement with regards to expanding and improving the FET college infrastructure.

In keeping with the strategic priorities of the National Skills Development Strategy III, which includes the expansion and strengthening of Public Further Education and Training Colleges, the National Skills Fund and the SETAs will allocate R2.5 billion towards the refurbishment and construction of new campuses of FET Colleges over the next three years.

Further details of this important project will be provided by Minister Nzimande in his budget vote speech later this month.

This is yet another demonstration of the value we attach to FET colleges.

Ladies and gentlemen,

To drive back unemployment, poverty and inequality in our country, we need to achieve higher levels of economic growth.

To grow our economy, we need to produce the necessary skills. FET colleges are important players in helping us to obtain those skills.

We look forward to fruitful discussions as we review progress and discuss the role of FET colleges in the country’s skills development revolution, including roles in the priority infrastructure development programme.

This is going to be a highly interactive session. All views are welcome and these will enable us to build a much better understanding of how to respond to the priority task of skills development as we build a more prosperous South Africa.

I thank you.