Transnet sponsored Development Summit, increases human capital investment

Dr Matthews Phale, senior manager of group capacity building at Transnet says the group was proud to be a part of the summit. It is actively promoting skills development, as awareness needs to be created around the benefits of skills development and how it is vital for the public and private sector to work together to implement skills development programmes.

The summit theme, 'Skills development is a catalyst to economic development', talked to the urgency of South Africa's unemployment crisis and how it is vital to instil skills development programmes in both the private and public sector in order to achieve sustainable employment and economic growth.

Assisting with job creation

According to Kekeletso Khena, director of the summit, Transnet is a perfect example of how a company can work alongside the public sector to assist with job creation.

Transnet has recently revealed its R300 billion market demand strategy for the expansion of its rail, port and pipeline infrastructure, which includes a strong human capital development factor. Because of this strategy 558 000 direct and indirect new jobs are expected to be created over the seven year project period. In addition, just over R1 billion has reportedly been set aside for skills development initiatives, which includes training of engineers, artisans and technicians in various disciplines during the first year of the strategy roll out.

"In positioning South Africa as a global and regional player in delivering responsive freight infrastructure, skills development becomes crucial and central to this delivery. The group remains committed to ensure that the human capital strategy remains firmly grounded on growing skills in the various Transnet schools of excellence internally as well as with partnerships with other providers like universities, technikons and FET colleges," concludes Phale.