Draft Presentation Maritime Skills Summit 21 September 2011

1. Draft PresentationMaritime Skills Summit21 September 2011 Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize

2. Background • South African broad growth and development strategy aims to promote and accelerate economic growth along a path that generates decent and sustainable jobs to: • Reduce poverty and extreme inequalities that characterise the SA society and economy • There is a need to identify and prioritise high impact sector strategies that are crucial to place the economy on a higher growth and developmental path

3. Background • The New Growth Path acknowledges that lack of adequate education and deficit in the supply of skills are impediments to job creation and reduced poverty levels • Growth Path calls for the education system that will equip SA citizens to participate in the economy • Careful planning is needed to support the human resources development needs necessary to fuel the country’s growth path aspirations

4. Background • SAMSA presentation to HRDCSA meeting of 5 August 2011 highlighted the following: • Maritime sector presents SA with opportunity to attain development goals • Sector has a potential to become a major industry as it can generate large scale employment both on-board ships and in related non seafaring labour intensive industries ashore

5. However • The pool of qualified and experienced maritime skills has been declining for some time, due to lack of locally registered vessels • There are skills shortages in almost every facet of the maritime industry, including marine engineers, port managers, tug masters, maritime lawyers and financiers • This poses significant challenges for the sector to advance maritime interest including SA development agenda

6. Furthermore • SA has basic infrastructure to develop skills in the maritime sector • However there are challenges related to: • Inadequate secondary and tertiary institutions • Inadequate maritime courses • High cost of training • Lack of suitably qualified teaching staff • Unavailability of training berths • Maritime education and training not well structured • Insufficient coordination amongst various clusters of public and private sector • SETAs, FET colleges and universities less responsive to the needs of the maritime sector • No long term vision for supporting the sector • Limited awareness of maritime sector careers and job opportunities

7. Revelation… • Revelation is a cause for concern from the Council, whose role is to address bottlenecks that will hinder delivery of targets as spelled out on the Human Resources Development Strategy, hence the Council recommended the following: • Maritime sector to be part of the NGP • Explore possibilities of dedicated skills support for the maritime industry • Support SAMSA in hosting the Maritime Skills Summit • Engage with maritime sector employers, Navy, SAMSA, Transnet in resolving challenges

8. Revelation… • Revelation cause for concern for my Department responsible for: • Universities • Colleges • Adult Education Centres • Levy Grant Institutions (SETAs and NSF) • Regulatory and Advisory Institutions on skills

9. Whose vision • Expanded, effective, coherent, integrated, differentiated, but highly articulated post school system that is responsive to the needs of our economy

10. I am here today to • Wearing two caps: • HRDCSA Member • Minister of DHET • Listen to challenges facing the sector from the skills point of view and reach consensus on the role my Department and Council will play in supporting the sector

11. Hope the summit will • Recommend initiatives intended to: • Guide work needed to support the sector from the skills and human resources point of view • Action plan and roles and responsibilities of various departments in the human resources development value chain • Set out a country’s vision for maritime skills development trajectory • Secure planning and delivery alignment across the entire human resources development value chain

12. Most specifically • The summit will recommend initiatives to address the following dilemmas • insufficient infrastructure and capacity for skills development • Lack of industry transformation and shortage of training berths for cadets • Better understanding of international regime governing shipping space • Need for local ownership of the industry to ensure job creation for S Africans

13. Most specifically • How to address the global shortage of seafarers which presents an opportunity for becoming a labour supply nation to the global shipping transport industry, thereby creating jobs particularly for the youth in the underdeveloped parts of the country, including rural and township areas

14. So that • We can claim a share of 30 000 to 45 000 seafaring jobs in international shipping,

15. Conclusion • DHET and HRDCSA Committed to Work with SAMSA and key stakeholders to: • Work together to develop skills in the maritime sector • Review the status and chart the course of Maritime Education and Training in South Africa • Develop education and training blue print for the sector • Support research, development and innovation • Maritime career profiling • Promote lifelong learning • Develop maritime education pathways

16. Thank you!!